Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon on Monday warned canal grabbers of stern action, saying no one would be spared.
"Land-grabbers, whoever they are, will not be let off the hook," the mayor said while visiting the cleaning work of Kutubkhali canal at Dholairpar, reports UNB.
The 2.1-kilometre canal has been filled with water hyacinth and domestic wastes, chocking the normal flow of its water.
"The drive to free canals from illegal occupation is very important as they (the waterways) are the lifeline of modern Dhaka," he said. "We want to make the canal water flow again."
Illegal structures from a 74-km area in the Dhaka-Narayanganj-Demra zone have been removed, the mayor said. The eviction drive was conducted with the help of the army.
Following a High Court order on August 16, 2016, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) had identified some 4,500 structures that had been constructed illegally on riverbanks. Around 3,950 of them were demolished.
