Over 50 brick and mud houses have been built along the Monu river encroaching on its banks in Moulvibazar town.
More houses will be built along its half a kilometre stretch of the river soon as locals have grabbed parts of the river for it.
The correspondent visited the area recently and found most parts of the river had been encroached upon at the town’s Shaiyarpur.
Seeking anonymity, a woman said: “Nobody has ever faced any legal problem while building theirs and so I am going to build mine, encroaching on a piece of the river land.”
Talking to the correspondent, Tajul Islam, 70, who hails from Noakhali, said: “I have migrated here since my house was eroded into a river a few years ago in my district.
“After migrating here, I have built a house and am now living with my family well.”
He however said the land on which he had built his house belonged to the Water Development Board.
A municipal water supply line was also seen beside the house of the elderly man, which is not legal.
Seeking anonymity, another woman said: “We are voters and so nobody would come to evict us. Besides, we won’t leave this place unless we are compensated well.”
Mayor Faizul Karim Moyun said: “I do now know whether any water supply line has been connected to the houses illegally built along the river. I will visit there by myself.”
Water Development Board Executive Engineer Md Faizur Rob said: “I did not know about such grabbing of the river land is going on. I will take steps after looking into this.”
