A group of land grabbers led by a land department official are encroaching upon a canal and raising business establishments over it at the Nathullabad area of the city.
Zillur Rahman – sub-assistant land officer of Banaripara upazila of Barisal – led the group.
After visiting the spot and talking with the local people it was learnt that construction of at least 18 shops on the 300-yard-long canal – starting from Nathullabad Bridge going north – was being carried out in full swing.
Makbul Mridha, president, Nathullabad Khudra Bebosaeyee Samity, claimed that the BCC mayor permitted him to run a kitchen market at the site.
Land official Zillur Rahman said he took the lease from the Zila Parishad to build some 18 stalls on the canal.
He also claimed that he legally took the lease from the Zila Parishad along with permission from the Barisal City Corporation mayor.
However, Makbul Hossain, chief executive officer, Barisal Zila Parishad, said the Zila Parishad authorities gave neither the permission or lease to build structures in and around the canal.
Ahsan Habib Kamal, BCC Mayor, also denied giving any permission or consent to anybody in regard to constructing stalls.
Abdus Salam, BCC market inspector, said he visited the spot and submitted a report against illegal construction on the canal.
Nikhil Chandra Das, chief executive officer, BCC, said a group of small businessmen visited him and asked him to give them a ten-day period to remove the structures.
After the timeframe, BCC would operate an eviction drive, said the BCC CEO.
Shakil Ahmed, a local resident who is opposed to the construction of the kitchen market said operating a kitchen market in this area would lead to health hazards and traffic problems.
“Besides, dumping waste in the canal will congest, maybe even damage the drainage and sewerage system,” added Shakil.
Sushanta Ghosh, activist, Movement for Preservation and Recovery of Canals, Ponds, Wetlands, said local government authorities should take needful steps to execute the related laws to stop the land grabbing at the canal and evict the illegal structures already raised.
