Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has expressed deep concern over the long-standing illegal occupation and construction activities at the confluence of the Dhaleshwari and Shitalakkhya rivers, allegedly carried out by Shah Cement Company in violation of environmental and river conservation laws, calling for the immediate blacklisting of the company as the first step toward strict accountability and urged for the eviction of illegal occupation to restore the rivers.
In a press release issued on Sunday, TIB said that according to media reports, Shah Cement Company has filled approximately 24 acres of river land with sand and soil in the Mirersharai mouza of Munshiganj Sadar upazila, obstructing the natural flow of the river and altering its classification.
The structures built on the encroached land are disrupting the water flow of the Dhaleshwari and Shitalakkhya rivers, TIB said.
"Additionally, the discharge of liquid and solid waste from the factory into the river is severely harming the environment and biodiversity. Clinker dust released into the air eventually settles into the river, causing further pollution.
"Although the Munshiganj district administration and the National River Conservation Commission (NRCC) identified the company as an 'encroacher' in 2018, 2019, and 2023, the government has yet to take effective action to protect the rivers."
TIB said that Shah Cement is not only engaging in river-grabbing business operations with complete impunity, but is also profiting as a contractor in various publicly funded projects without any accountability.
Strongly condemning this shameless and destructive act of encroachment, TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said: “There is no justification whatsoever for this operation that is destroying two rivers through encroachment.”
He added: “Such actions not only ruin the navigability of rivers but also gravely endanger the country’s ecological balance and the lives and livelihoods of river-dependent communities.”
He continued: “By altering the natural structure of the river, it is significantly increasing the risks of floods, riverbank erosion, water crises, and flow-related disasters, ultimately affecting the economy and quality of life in Bangladesh.”
“In 2019, a landmark ruling by the High Court granted legal personhood—or the status of a living entity—to all rivers within and flowing through Bangladesh. This means that killing a river is equivalent to taking a human life. Even in this context, the river-grabbing company continues to fill up land at the confluence by dumping sand and soil, obstructing natural flow and effectively killing the river.
“We believe that such a river-grabbing entity has no moral or legal right to maintain any business relationship with the state or the government. We call for the immediate blacklisting of Shah Cement as a first step toward ensuring strict accountability—by barring the company from all government contracts, licenses, and financial incentives,” he added.
"At the same time, considering the disgrace this has brought to the cement industry and related sectors, we urge all other businesses to cut ties with Shah Cement and set an example of business boycott. In the vision of a new Bangladesh born from the struggle against inequality, there is no room for such acts of encroachment."
Iftekharuzzaman further said: “The way the company has filled up the confluence with sand and soil to illegally occupy land is a clear violation of the Port Act, 1908, the Port Rules, 1966, and directives issued by the High Court.”
He urged the relevant authorities—including the local administration, the Department of Environment, BIWTA, and the National River Conservation Commission—to immediately take legal action against Shah Cement and other encroachers.
He also demanded that the authorities identify and hold accountable those responsible for the continued inaction, despite the company being repeatedly marked as a river encroacher.
He said: “All illegal structures must be demolished, appropriate compensation must be recovered for the damage caused to the river and environment, and strict monitoring must be ensured to prevent such river-grabbing in the future.
“The encroached parts of the river must be reclaimed without delay to restore natural flow, and those responsible must face strict legal consequences.”
