Influential people regardless political affiliations are encroaching on the Kalandi canal in Akhaura upazila, Brahmanbaria, as it is not recorded as khas land (state-owned land) on surveys.
The canal, which flows into Bangladesh through the Akhaura-Agartala check post, is the only sewage line for the upazila town.
Locals say the land grabbing begins at night. First, it is encircled with bamboo or tin-shed structures. Then brick installations are erected behind the bamboo or tin-shed ones.
Most grabbers belong to some political parties. Though they have political differences, they are united when grabbing land and sharing it among themselves, sources say.
Though the canal is now drying up, the land grabbing continues unabated. It will soon go off the map in the upazila, allege the locals.
The Dhaka Tribune correspondent also visited the canal, which flows into the Teesta River, and found shops and multi-storey buildings being built on both sides of it.
Talking to locals, it was learned that influential people, mainly involved in politics, had set their eyes on this canal soon after the political changeover in 1990s.
Land grabbing, however, came to a halt after the 1/11 changeover on January 11, 2007, when some installations set up along with both sides of the canal had been demolished.
Later, in early 2008, it began again and has been continued unhindered.
Assistant Officer of Akhaura upazila Land Office Saroar Alam said: “We cannot reclaim this canal or stop them from encroaching on it since it is not recorded as khas land.
“But we have filed civil suits against more than one of the land grabbers,” he added.
The land grabbers say they own the land as per BS and RS khatians, claiming that their lands were outside the canal boundaries.
Asked about this, Akhaura Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Khurshid Shahriar echoed Alam. “This canal is not recorded on surveys and the grabbers are taking advantage.
“Yet, we are trying to stop the land grabbing. When we go to stop it, they [land grabbers] file cases with the courts against us. We have written to the deputy commissioner about it,” he added.