A total of 1,25,369.90 acres of khas land emerged in the Bay of Bengal over the last 10 years, Land Minister Shamsur Rahman Sherif Dilu told parliament on Monday.
Replying to a query from treasury bench member Begum Pinu Khan (women reserve seat-23), the land minister said 29 islands/chars having a total of 1,25,369.90 acres of khas land developed in the maritime boundary of Noakhali, Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar districts.
Of the total islands/chars, he said, 19 islands/chars with 30,583 acres of khas land emerged in Cox’s Bazar, five islands/chars (75,884 acres) developed in Noakhali and two (18,912.90 acres) in Chittagong district.
The land minister said the Swarnadwip with nearly 60,000 acres of khas land is the biggest island that has emerged in Hatiya upazila in Noakhali, followed by Bhashan Char (around 3,000 acres) in the same upazila.
He said Swarnadwip was handed over to Bangladesh Army, while Bhashan Char is going to be used for temporary rehabilitation of the Rohingya people.
