The High Court on Thursday ordered the chief judicial magistrate of Gazipur to probe whether there is any illegal structure and encroachment in Turag river at Kamarpara in the district.
If the chief judicial magistrate cannot conduct the probe, it has to be conducted by his subordinate officer who is not below the senior judicial officer's rank, the court also said.
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) local authorities, Deputy Commissioner (DC), police chief of Gazipur district, Officer-in-charges of Tongi and Turag police stations will assist the probe.
The High Court bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah came up with the order after Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), who had filed a writ in this connection and submitted a fresh petition to probe the matter.
Counsel of HRPB, Manzil Murshid said that the court had come up with a rule on November 9 last year responding to their writ petition which prayed the court to pass necessary orders upon the authorities concern to take steps of evicting the illegal land grabbers.
The court had asked to take steps within 48 hours to remove establishments and stop grabbing.
Complying with the court's order BIWTA submitted a half-done report on November 27 and placed a completed one with photographs on Thursday. They said that they had removed structures constructed by nine organisations in the river.
As in the photographs there were evidences of more untouched establishments in the river, the HRPB brought the matter to the court's notice, saying land grabbing is still going on there.
The court asked to investigate the allegation and submit the probe report before it by March 1, 2017.
Saturday, June 21, 2025
