Eviction Drive: Haji Selim’s unauthorised structures torn down

Associates of lawmaker Haji Mohammad Selim had pre-emptively torn down parts of an illegal structure that he had allegedly built ahead of yesterday's eviction drive by the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority in Old Dhaka's Shoari Ghat.

The Dhaka-7 MP allegedly occupied the 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 replicas in the area.

Led by its Executive Magistrate Mahbub Jamil, a BIWTA team tore down other portions of the structure, built illegally by encroaching on the land of the river during the drive.

Locals said associates of Haji Selim took away goods from the warehouse so that the goods were not damaged during the drive.

Selim's associates however told reporters that he was not the owner of the land and instead had rented the place.

"We found some parts of the structures were removed before the drive, but the main illegal structure was untouched and we knocked it down," said joint director of BIWTA Md Gulzar Ali who was also present during the drive.

The team also evicted the front side of a cold storage named "Chand Sarder Cold Storage" allegedly owned by the Dhaka-7 lawmaker who constructed illegal structures in front of the cold storage on the land of the river.

Although Haji Selim constructed the main building without encroaching on the land of Buriganga river, temporary structures were constructed in front of the cold storage occupying the river's land, said locals.

Men of Dhaka-7 MP Haji Selim are demolishing the structure of “Modina Water Tank” there before the drive. Selim allegedly occupied the land. Photo: Collected

The drive started at 11:00 am and continued till 3:00 pm.

Joint director of BIWTA Gulzar said they evicted 165 structures during the drive, including 10 two-storey buildings, 20 one-storey buildings, 25 semi-concrete structures, 60 tin-shed structures and 50 other structures.

They reclaimed two acres of land from encroachers during the first day of the drive, he added.

Gulzar said they are conducting the drive as part of their continued drive in line with the direction of the High Court to evict all illegal structures from the four rivers -- Buriganga, Turag, Shitalakhya and Balu -- around Dhaka city.

He said they will resume their drive today between Imamganj and Loharpool to evict all illegal structures constructed by occupying the land of the Buriganga.

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