Eviction around rivers to continue
Khalid chaired the event as a president of taskforce committee for rivers
In the last six months, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) recovered at least 145.1 acres of embankment land of four major rivers around Dhaka, said Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, State Minister of Ministry of Water Transport.
As a result of the evictions, BIWTA has collected Tk 8,64,38,400 from auction and Tk 27,06,000 as fine from the land grabbers, the State Minister added. He urged the officials involved to continue the drive.
He was speaking at a meeting in the ministry on Wednesday. He claimed there were no eviction drives on riverbank areas of Dhaka before his tenure. He said that all these tasks had been made possible because of the directives from the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Khalid chaired the event as a president of taskforce committee for rivers. The committee is working for increasing the navigability of country’s major rivers.
The State Minister also said that 52 km walkway, 10,820 boundary pillars, forestation, three eco-parks, six pontoons, 40 km key-wall, 19 RCC jetty, 40 spards and 409 sitting benches will be set up around the four major rivers surrounding Dhaka- Buriganga, Turag, Shitolokkha and Balu.
The Ministry of Water Transport is implementing seven other projects aimed at increasing navigability of inland rivers.
Environment, Forestry and Climate Affairs Minister Md. Shahbuddin and Secretary of Ministry of Water Transport Abdus Samad was also present at the programme.