ASK expresses concern over damage to Ashrayan homes during river re-excavation in Khulna

The Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) has expressed deep concern over reported damage to houses of Ashrayan project residents during river re-excavation work in Dumuria upazila of Khulna.

In a press release issued today (16 June), the human rights organisation said media reports showed that soil lifted during the river re-excavation work had been dumped beside and on top of houses under the Ashrayan project, damaging the homes of more than 100 families and making their living conditions unsafe.

The ASK said river re-excavation is an important public-interest initiative, but no development project can be carried out in a way that endangers people’s lives, housing, safety and dignity.

According to the media reports cited by ASK, pressure from the excavated soil caused cracks in houses, damaged tube wells and sanitation facilities, and left many families living in fear.

“These incidents indicate gaps in project planning, lack of risk assessment and insufficient attention to the rights and safety of affected communities,” the statement said.

The organisation said it was particularly concerning that families who were once landless and homeless and had been rehabilitated with state support are again facing the risk of displacement and unsafe living conditions.

It said damage to one state rehabilitation initiative caused by another development project reflects a serious failure of administrative coordination.

The ASK said Article 15 of the Constitution mentions the state’s responsibility to provide citizens with basic necessities, while Articles 31 and 32 recognise the rights to personal security and protection of law.

It also said the right to safe and dignified housing is recognised as a fundamental human right under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

ASK urged the authorities concerned to immediately conduct a neutral investigation into the incident, carry out a full assessment of the damage, repair or rebuild risky houses, and restore damaged tube wells and sanitation facilities in the affected Ashrayan project area.