At least 260 illegal structures built alongside the Surma River have been demolished by the urban development authorities in the Kazir Bazar area of Sylhet city.
Following a High Court order, Sylhet City Corporation (SCC), along with the district administration, the local office of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (WDB), the Road and Highways Department (RHD) and the Sylhet Metropolitan Police, conducted the eviction drive on Sunday and Monday.
Sylhet Collectorate Executive Magistrate Christopher Himel Risil supervised the drive, destroying illegally built houses, shops and markets, sources said.
Speaking to Dhaka Tribune, Ali Akbar, executive engineer at Sylhet City Corporation, said: “We will demolish all the illegal structures built on the riverbanks of Surma. We have already destroyed over 200 illegal structures in the last two days.”
He said there had been hiccups during the drive due heavy monsoon rain, but the drive would continue.
“It may last for a month, depending on the weather conditions,” he further added.
Sources said during the first two days of the eviction drive, the authorities concerned removed 63 illegal establishments from the Kheyaghat area, and almost 200 from the east side of the river in the Kazir Bazar area.
Officials of the Sylhet City Corporation told Dhaka Tribune that they had notified the encroachers several times, and asked them to free the riverside areas through public announcements.
However, the grabbers did not pay heed to the warnings, up until the eviction drive was launched on Sunday, they added.
Members of the eviction team told Dhaka Tribune that they would continue the drive until all the illegal structures were removed.
On July 1, the High Court accorded every river of Bangladesh be considered as a “legal person,” and should be protected by a set of constitutional rights.
Following the ruling, the eviction drive was started to free up the Surma, the longest river in Bangladesh, from encroachment.