Encroachment resumes along the Bakkhali riverbank

Encroachment has reportedly resumed on previously cleared land along the banks of the Bakkhali River in the Kasturaghat area of Cox’s Bazar town.

The renewed occupation began on the night of 12 February following the voting, with at least 50 tin-shed houses erected in the past two days, according to local sources.

To halt the encroachment and initiate legal action, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has sent letters to 15 government offices.

The letter, signed by Cox’s Bazar (Kasturaghat) River Port Officer Md Abdul Wakil, was addressed to relevant authorities including officials of the Ministry of Shipping, BIWTA’s administrative and port divisions, the Department of Environment, local land administration, the Cox’s Bazar Development Authority, and the National River Conservation Commission, among others.

According to BIWTA, an eviction drive conducted with support from the district administration and law-enforcement agencies in September last year removed illegal occupiers from the river banks within the port area. During that operation, 63 acres of land were recovered and 496 temporary and permanent structures were demolished.

However, when authorities attempted to install boundary pillars late last year, local resistance led to clashes.

Subsequently, four cases – three by BIWTA and one by police – were lodged, naming 40 individuals and around 1,600 unidentified persons as accused, officials said.

Port Officer Md Abdul Wakil confirmed both the dispatch of the letters and the renewed occupation, stating that many of those previously evicted were behind the latest encroachment.

He added that legal steps are now being taken to address the situation.

Authorities have long struggled to keep the riverbanks free from illegal occupation, with encroachers often returning after eviction operations due to weak monitoring and unresolved land demarcation issues.