PDB takes possession of 246.99 acres of land
CPA had leased out the land to two private companies
Power Development Board installs a signboard at Rangadia-Majher Char in Anwara of Chittagong yesterday taking control of 246.99 acres of government land for setting up a coal-fired power plant. Chittagong Port Authority had leased out a large chunk of this land to East West Property Development Ltd, and AK Khan Group. Photo: Anurup Kanti Das
The Power Development Board (PDB) in Chittagong yesterday took possession of 246.99 acres of government land in Anwara upazila that was under the custody of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), who had leased it out to two private companies. The land in Rangadia and Majher Char across the Karnaphuli river will be used to house a 1,320MW coal-fired power plant, said Ilias Rahman, executive engineer of PDB. The government has allotted the PDB the land to set up the power plant. Md Shamsuddin Khan, a senior deputy manager of AK Khan Co Ltd, said around 200 acres of land was taken from their possession. He claimed that the PDB did not serve any notice for taking possession of the land. “We will deal with the matter legally”. Asked, the PDB executive engineer said the companies were served notices three times. Zahirul Hoque, manager (accounts) of East West Property Development Ltd, the other lessee, said about 46 acres of land was taken from its possession. He claimed that the company took lease of 246 acres of land from the CPA in 2006 for 50 years to establish an oil refinery. It has already invested about Tk 500 crore to develop the Char land to set up the factory, he added. He alleged that the PDB did not issue any notice about taking possession of the land. Enamul Gofran Chowdhury, a project director of East West Property Development Ltd, however, said the firm was not sure how much land was taken back from it. He said the company was not informed of the drive, and by measuring the land, it would confirm if the PDB actually took possession of its land. During the drive with the assistance of the Chittagong District Administration (CDA) and police, the staffers of a one-storey office of AK Khan Co Ltd in the land were evicted yesterday.
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