The government has decided to cancel allotment of land for constructing the headquarter of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-10 inside the Buriganga River at Kamrangirchar.
The decision was taken in an inter-ministerial meeting of the housing and public works ministry in presence of five senior ministers held at the ministry with Housing Minister Mosharraf Hossain in the chair.
The meeting was held in response to the instructions of the prime minister to save the rivers, river water and protect the environment which was given in the last cabinet meeting.
Earlier, the ministers visited the Kamrangirchar area to observe the place that was allotted on behalf of RAB-10 and see the river grabbing on Sunday.
After the meeting, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan told reporters that the meeting decided to cancel the allotment of land that was allotted for RAB to save the river and main channel of the river.
“We have decided to evict the buildings and infrastructures that were constructed by grabbing the rivers,” said the minister.
The RAB authority wanted seven acres of land at Kamrangirchar from the district administration of Dhaka. The administration also allocated against them. However, it was not handed over to them as there were not sufficient lands to give and it was inside the river.
The meeting has formed a 13-member sub-committee led by BIWTA chairman.
Three representatives of three leading environmentalist organisations Bapa, Poba and Bela, Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka and officials of other relevant ministries will be its members.
Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan said: “The RAB representative attended the meeting, informing that they have no objections if the government allots new lands for them to build the RAB-10 headquarter.
The committee will find out new places to allocate the elite force. It might be in Kamrangirchar or any other area.”
