Stop encroachment on river Turag : HC
The High Court yesterday directed the authorities concerned to stop encroachment on the river Turag at Gabtoli point in the capital, and remove illegal structures from the point within 24 hours.
The court also asked the chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and deputy commissioner of Dhaka to take appropriate legal actions against those responsible for encroaching and constructing structures in that river point.
The HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik and Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim came up with the order following a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) yesterday.
The BIWTA chairman and DC of Dhaka have been asked to submit a report before the court by May 13 after complying with the order.
Advocate Manzill Murshid moved the petition on behalf of HRPB. During the hearing, Manzill Murshed told the court that the HC in June 2009 directed the government to remove all structures from four rivers around Dhaka including the Turag, Balu and to stop all kinds of encroachment on these rivers.
But some people are encroaching on the Turag at Gabtoli point defying the HC directives, the petitioner said.
Such encroachment has to be stopped to save the river, he added.
Deputy Attorney General ABM Altaf Hossain represented the government.
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