Land in Buriganga to be acquired for army

The River Protection Taskforce will further discuss the move to acquire 1.54 acres of land in the foreshore of the river Buriganga for Bangladesh Army ignoring objection of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority in its meeting scheduled for Sunday.
The taskforce earlier discussed the issue in its meeting on several occasions, but failed to make a decision, said taskforce members.
The government meanwhile has finalised the process to acquire land in Ailbahar mauja under Shyampur police station between the river and 27.03 acres of land acquired earlier for Bangladesh Army (Riverine Engineer) Battalion, said officials concerned.
In the proposed area, some river demarcation pillars were seen which the water transport authority with the help of Dhaka district administration set up to demarcate the river land following a High Court order.
A recent spot visit showed that preparation for construction work was going on and army officials were also seen working on the piece of land known as Sena Kalyan Ghat adjacent to the launch terminal of the water transport authority.
The water transport authority joint director (port and traffic), Gulzar Ali, said that in 1960 after gazette notification on Dhaka Port, the district administration and the water transport authority conducted a joint survey and a total 451.88 km foreshore was handed over to the water transport authority.
Even according to Cadastral Survey and Revised Survey had recorded the proposed land as river land, he said.
If the piece of land is acquired and handed over to the army, the foreshore would be destroyed, said Saiful Islam, the joint director (port and traffic) at Sadarghat.
The proposed land is situated in the demarcated river area and demarcation pillars are still there, he said.
Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan secretary general Abdul Matin said that in 2009 the High Court had asked the administration of the districts concerned to demarcate the Buriganga, Shitalakkhya, Turag, Balu and Dhaleswari rivers with boundary pillars retaining both the eroded area and formed land (char) as integral parts of the rivers as per CS and RS records.
He said that the administrations failed to set up pillars according to the High Court order.
No structures can be built in river land and foreshore — the land of a river lying between the low water mark and high water mark of normal tide during dry season and monsoon — is defined by law as an integral part of the river, he said.
Dhaka additional deputy commissioner (land acquisition) Md Iftekhar Hossain, however, said that a gazette notification for the acquisition of 25.47 acres of land for Bangladesh Army was already published.
The cost for the proposed land acquisition has been estimated and the army has already been asked to deposit the money, he said.
Shipping ministry joint secretary (land acquisition) Md Alauddin said that Central Land Acquisition Committee already finalised the acquisition process.
The shipping minister, Shajahan Khan, also the taskforce chairman, however, said that he knew nothing about it.
The water transport authority chairman Samsuddoha Kahndaker declined any comment.
Inter Service Public Relations Directorate director Shaheenul Islam over telephone told New Age that they had no information about this matter.