It is shocking that the illegal land grabbing belonging to different government organisations, river chars and other protected natural areas across the country are being grabbed by unscrupulous people in association with local influential groups in liaison with corrupt officials. According to a news report published in The New Nation on Sunday, the land sharks have already grabbed over 5,128 acres of land of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB). It was also alleged that some BWDB employees are enjoying the board’s lands in the name of other people. These dishonest staff members reportedly collect monthly payment from different business establishments that are installed in BWDB lands or embankments.
It is true that the BWDB lands are encroached over the years due to lack of monitoring, which the officials say is because of shortage of manpower. An official, not to be named, said the board has already submitted a preliminary report to the ministry regarding the occupied lands. The board acquires lands considering the size of projects, as it constructs flood protection embankments and irrigation canals throughout the country. Even after the High Court order, and the campaigns by green activists and the media to prevent fresh encroachment appear to have had no impact in this regard. Thus, the grabbing incidents highlight the audacity of the land grabbers who carry out their crimes with impunity.
According to the water resources ministry, the BWDB acquired over 216,853 acres of land across the country for various purposes, including construction of embankments. High officials of the ministry informed this daily that they will soon launch eviction drives against encroachment and stern action will be taken if found any officials involved in malpractices in this regard. Officials at the ministry said over 315 acres of land belonging to the BWDB have been grabbed by influential people in the central region of Dhaka, 3,077 acres in Cumilla zone, 490 acres in Rajshahi zone, 180 acres in Chattogram region, 386 acres in Khulna zone, 471 acres in Rangpur zone, 127 acres in Barishal zone, 67 acres in Faridpur, and 13 acres in Sylhet zone, as of November 2020.
Especially in suburbs, grabbing of private lands is a might and right business.
