Expansion of Cox's Bazar Airport to evict 40,000
The government decision of land acquisition for expanding Cox's Bazar Airport came under protest by the local leaders yesterday.
The Tk 602 crore land acquisition project would make around 40,000 people of Kutubdiapara, Samitypara, and Fadnerdail under Cox's Bazar municipality homeless, local leaders of that area claimed at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club.
The leaders warned the government that the locals would even lay down their lives to save their land.
They alleged that a vested quarter is influencing the government for the acquisition project covering 16 populated localities, but people of the areas would not let it happen.
The airport's own land should be enough for the expansion work, as much of it remain unused for many years, said Akhter Kamal Azad, a councillor of Cox's Bazar municipality ward No 1, in a written statement.
Further, at least 58 acres of the airport land, which has been grabbed by local influential people could be recovered and used for the purpose, he added.
The leaders said the government wants to acquire 682 acres of 'Khas' land which would cover the 230-acre land of 40,000 people for expanding the runway from 6,775ft to 9,000ft in length and 150ft to 200ft in width.
The people from Kutubdia Island had been living on those pieces of Khas land after the devastating cyclone of 1991, which swept away a large portion of the island, added the leaders.
Atik Ullah Sawdagar, president of ward No 1 Awami League; Moksudul Haq, Mawlana Zahidur Rahman, khatib of South Kutubdiapara Jame Mosque; and Khorshed Alam, a social worker of Kutubdia; were also present at the conference.
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