A group of land grabbers have occupied a portion of the Kopotakkho riverbank in Sathkira and began constructing illegal establishments there in the name of a fish storehouse, posing an impediment to the government’s recent initiatives to revive the river’s width.
Already, 70 concrete pillars have been constructed on the one-acre land located on the west side of Kapilmuni in Binodganj Bazar bordering Tala and Paikgacha upazilas for building 40 permanent establishments.
Sources alleged that the construction works were being monitored by a group of Awami League leaders of Kapilmuni and Haridhali union, including Advocate Nurul Haque MP of Khulna 6 constituency, while the district administration has not taken any steps against the illegal move.
Locals said a vested quarter was active to foil the Tk262 crore government dredging project to bring back the original width of the Kopotakkho River. They also feared that if such encroachment of the river continued, more than 10 lakh people in the locality would become water-locked and thousands of acres of farming lands in the area would be marooned.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Advocate Mustafa Lutfullah MP, lawmaker from of Satkhira- 1 constituency and convener of Kopotakkho Banchao Andolan Sangram Committee, claimed that the Kopotakkho River was originally 500 feet wide but had shrunk due to the adverse affects of climate change.
“The government had allocated TK 262 crore to excavate the river and the project will be implemented in phases,” he said. Lutfullah also blamed land grabbers for occupying the riverbanks as per their needs.
Sardar Golam Mostafa, general secretary of Kapilmuni Bazar Traders Association, said the association had filed an application to Advocate Nurul Haque MP in February for an allocation of a 4.5 acre land for expanding the fish storehouse of the bazar.
“The parliamentarian held a meeting with a few traders of the market and formed a nine-member Matsya Arot Unnoyan committee, making Kapilmuni union Awami League leader Jugol Kishor Dey the president and himself the member secretary of the committee,” he said.
Mostafa added: “As per the lawmaker’s suggestion, the committee’s president collected Tk2 lakh each from five members of the committee and started the construction works of the fish storehouse.
“A 70 feet land has been taken for the establishment for the development of the bazaar. The structures will not pose a bar for the river’s dredging works. If it does, the establishments will be demolished,” he said, adding: “The MP has been informed about all aspects of the establishments”.
During a recent visit, the correspondent found that more than a hundred day labours were working at the site. Golam Mostofa and his brother were also seen monitoring the work.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, one of the labours said: “Mostafa hired us and we have been filling up the land and constructing pillars here for the last two weeks.”
“The extension of storehouse was just an eye wash to occupy the river bank,” said Habibur Rahman, a businessman of the bazar.
“It will become difficult to carry out the dredging works of the river if such establishments are built on the riverbanks in an unplanned way,” Sheikh Asadur Rahman Pial, former general secretary of traders association, told the Dhaka Tribune.
Meanwhile, Haridhali Union Parishad Chairman Abu Zafar Siddik Raju claimed that he had already sent a resolution to different administrative offices against the illegal activity.
Paikgacha Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Kabir Uddin said he had been informed about the issue and has already directed the general secretary of the market traders association to halt such activities.
“If he cannot stop the construction, action will be taken against him,” he added.