BIWTA recovers land ‘grabbed by Haji Salim’

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) yesterday demolished part of a petrol pump illegally constructed on land surrounding Buriganga River. The land was allegedly occupied by lawmaker Haji Mohammad Salim.

BIWTA also recovered a piece of land surrounding Buriganga, allegedly occupied by the lawmaker, locals said.

Modina Petrol Pump was running occupying part of BIWTA's land, and they have demolished illegal parts of the structure, said a BIWTA official.

The BIWTA team, led by its executive magistrate Mahbub Jamil, also demolished 171 illegal structures from Buriganga riverbank at Old Dhaka's Islambagh and Kamalbagh areas.

Kamalbagh residents had removed their belongings before the second day of the drive. People were seen removing machinery from their shops.

Earlier on Sunday, associates of Haji Salim had pre-emptively torn down parts of an illegal structure ahead of yesterday's drive at Old Dhaka's Shoari Ghat.

The Dhaka-7 MP had allegedly occupied land and put up a signboard of "Modina Water Tank" there, locals said, adding that his associates had torn down parts of a warehouse and some water tank models at the area.

The BIWTA team also demolished the front side of "Chand Sarder Cold Storage", allegedly owned by the lawmaker, who constructed illegal structures in front of the storage on the riverbank.

BIWTA Joint Director AKM Arif Uddin said they started a massive drive to recover land surrounding four rivers around the capital on January 29 last year, and have demolished around 8,000 illegal structures in different phases.