Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and Barisal City Corporation (BCC) are at loggerheads over the eviction of illegal establishments from the Kirtankhola River bank in Barisal.
Locals alleged that both authorities, capitalising the factional rivalries existing within the Barisal unit of the ruling Awami League, are illegally occupying the areas ignoring public interest.
Grabbers use prime minister’s and Bangabandhu’s photos to establish supremacy, they said.
An eviction drive carried out on June 22 by the BIWTA on the river port was halted within an hour with the interference of BCC while on October 27, a drive led by the BCC was called off in the wake of protests by the BIWTA.
BCC had formed a human chain protesting the leasing of land by BIWTA on October 29.
Nurul Islam Molla, organising secretary of Sadar upazila Sramik League, claimed that the BIWTA had leased the land recommended by former BCC Mayor and city Awami League President late Shawkat Hossain Hiron at a monthly rent of Tk6,100 for every 60 sq ft. Therefore, BCC’s eviction drive was not legal, he said.
On the other hand, Harun Ur Rashid, president of Mahanagor Bastuhara League, claimed that during the tenure of late Shawkat Hossain Hiron, BCC started operating the Charkawa Boat Terminal without collecting any toll and leased out some of the spaces surrounding the area to cover the expenses. Therefore, BIWTA had no right to evict them.
Md Shahidullah, deputy director of BIWTA and Barisal Port Officer, said about 300 structures erected illegally on three and half km of land around the port were owned by the BIWTA.
According to a BIWTA list, the eviction drives were on to construct different establishments to modernise and beautify the port.
Organisations who took the land on lease from BCC “illegally,” were planning to build a rest house, prayer room, and freshrooms for the passengers near the port at a cost of Tk2.5 crore, claimed BIWTA sources.
Md Shahidullah said the eviction drive was postponed as BCC authority had raised objection claiming ownership of the land.
However, he denied giving the land on lease to any authority.
According to Nikhil Chandra Das, BCC’s chief executive officer, the land and under construction establishments in and around the Charkawa Kheya Ghat and the Hatkhola area where BIWTA started eviction drives were owned by the city corporation.
No one but the BCC had the authority to demolish any structure from its land, he said, adding that they had, for this reason, requested the magistrate to halt the drive.