A canal belonging to the Roads and Highways Department is being filled up with sand allegedly by members of the local truck owners’ association for a truck stand in Brahmanbaria town.
The canal, which runs along the Brahmanbaria-Sorail-Madhappur highway and connects to the Titas river, is adjacent to the town’s Medda bus stand in front of Kokil Spinning Mill. The mill’s Managing Director Faruk Hossain Bepari had filed a written complaint with the executive engineer of RHD divisional office and the officer in charge of the area’s main police station.
However, the truck owners’ association members have not stopped filling the canal even after a case has been filed in this connection.
According to Brahmanbaria RHD sources, notices signed by Deputy Assistant Engineer Mohammad Shafiqul Islam Bhuiyan were issued to the truck owners’ association Chairman Sheikh Md Mohsin and General Secretary Mijanur Rahman Tanim on March 22.
The notice stated that even after several verbal notices to stop filling the canal and remove the dredging pipes the illegal activity has not stopped. The notice gave them three days to follow those instructions but they have not carried out the instructions.
Sadar police station Officer in Charge Akul Chandra Biswas also served the chairman and general secretary a similar notices, but to no avail.
Some of the locals said if this canal is filled up then it will create severe problems for the sewerage system as the canal drains the waste water of the nearby areas. According to them, the fire service uses water from the canal to put out fires – which they will no longer be able to do.
Asked the truck owners’ association general secretary Tanim acknowledged their involvement and added that they are filling the canal according to a decision of the district development coordination committee.
Brahmanbaria District Administrator Dr Muhammad Mosharrof Hossain said: “No such decisions were taken in the district development coordination committee meeting. But it needs to be checked if previous district administrators had given any such approval.”
Brahmanbaria RHD Executive Engineer Shyamol Kumar Bhattacharya said: “No one took our permission to fill up this canal. I instructed the deputy assistant engineer to take legal steps against the people involved only after hearing news of the illegal activity.”
OC Akul Chandra Biswas said: “A case have been filed in this regard. We will investigate the matter and take the necessary steps.”
Meanwhile, the dredging pipes running across the highway alongside the canal is causing frequent accidents. Sub Inspector Md Delowar Hossain of the sadar police station said because of the pipe five-six accidents occurred in the past few days.