huge chunk of land spreading 3km on river bank has fallen to prey to illegal business. It has been alleged that some unscrupulous officials of WDB are helping grabbers. The ruling party men are reportedly occupying government land. Sources said the grabbers are earning money from the market and other establishments on the occupied land. They took money as advance from the businessmen concerned. Outer of Abdullahpur canal at sluice gate area was blocked due to grabbing of land by Awami League leader. Al Amin, Harirampur union level leader of Awami League, allegedly set up kitchen market, shops and other establishments at the junction of river and canal. The kitchen market has been named after his father Tyeb Ali. Al Amin claimed he established market after taking the land from WDB on lease. He, however, declined to show any document to substantiate his claim. Several officials of WDB refused to have leased out any land. It was admitted by them that there is a system of leasing out land for one year for construction of roads considering public interest. But local people alleged that ruling party leader Al Amin grabbed the land putting Abdullahpur canal to risk. Effluents from the kitchen market are being dumped everyday blocking the outer. As a result, the canal is being filled gradually. It was found that many other locals along with Al Amin are establishing buildings on government land after occupying it. Their main identity is that they are pro-government people. It was found that the bank of Turag River is being occupied in the name of chairman of Harirampur union parishad and Awami League (AL) leader Abul Hashem. He is close to local MP Advocate Sahara Khatun. State Minister for Home Affairs also does not interferer in his work. Around Tk one and half crore was taken as advance from the 50 shops made on occupied lands. Rent per shop is Tk 10 to 15 thousand. It is being collected from each shop. Shopkeeper Shah Alam does not know who the real owner of the land is. He took the possession of the shop for Tk three lakh. He is paying Tk 10 thousand to Al Amin as rent. Several shopkeepers admitted the matter regarding the rent and advance. It was found that there is a two-storied mosque at the starting point of the canal, named as sluice gate Jam-e-Masjid which was constructed in 1997. Some shops were constructed beside the mosque. The existence of the canal is in danger due to these establishments. Local resident Idris Ali said there are several mosques in this area. Still it is hard to realise the necessity to establish another mosque occupying government land. There is a toilet on the north side of the mosque which is run commercially. Abdus Salam, khadem of the mosque said that he is collecting toll from the toilet users as per direction of Nasir Member, Chairman of managing committee of the mosque. Imam of the mosque, Jubail Ahmed said, the mosque was built over the land without prior permission from the WDB. Md Muhith Alam, senior vice president of Swechhasebak League of Uttara thana grabbed several bighas of land near Abdullahpur canal on the bank of the river Turag. He has been doing business by filling land since long. Recently he built a warehouse named “Bismillah fruits and raw material arat” by filling two bighas of land there. It has been alleged that he collected Tk 1.20 crore from different people by allocating 60 storehouses and collected Tk 15,000 to Tk 25,000 as rent per month from these storehouses. At least there are 20 piles of sand at Abdullahpur canal and on the bank of the river Turag. All are illegal. Among them, a businessman named Zakir Hossain owned one. It is learnt that Zakir Hossain is the nephew of Muhith Alam, a leader of ruling party. Both uncle and nephew grabbed huge land owned by Water Development Board. Zakir said, he did not grab any government land. He has been running sand business on the land on rent worth Tk 4 lakh annually from his uncle. About allegation, Muhith said that he owns some ancestral assets there. He built a vegetable warehouse taking lease of 28.93 decimal of land from Water Development Board. But he confessed that he took lease of WDB land for constructing road not for arat. Local sources said, Muhith built a bus depot by grabbing one bigha land of a person utilizing power of a leader of Swechhasebak League. Refusing the allegation, Muhith said that he has no connection with the bus depot. It was built by the members of the bus samity. During investigation, some vehicles of Kheya Paribahan were found there. WDB sources said that some lands of WDB were occupied by the Manjil Paribahan and Ahsania Mission Cancer Hospital. The WDB could not recover the land after their long time effort. Manjil Paribahan and Ahsania Mission authorities said that they are using 17 and 10 decimal of land taking lease from the WDB. Abdul Bakir shareholder of Manjil Paribahan said the land was being leased for parking vehicle. But now, it is not being used for transport. For this they kept sand on the open place. It was known after investigation that ruling party men setup makeshift house after grabbing land of Water Development Board worth more than Tk thousand crore on Turag bank adjacent to Abdullahpur-Ashulia road. They are earning crores of taka by renting them to lower income people. Establishment of Mosque-Madrasa and NGO School were also made there. Tenant of the slum, Amena Begum said the slum will not survive long time without backing from ruling party men. Kuddus Mia said sometimes they have to manage board officials by providing monthly payment. A madrasa was seen in a slum on the north side of Ahsania Mission Cancer Hospital. The name of the Madrasa is world Prophet (PBUH) Darul Ulum Madrasa and Orphanage that was said to be established in 1980. The institution is setup on one bigah land of the board but no approval was taken from the board. Local people said, “The religious institution was setup to sustain the slum.” Principal Abdul Kadir said the madrasa is setup on the land of Water Development Board. But, he could not tell anything about the approval. Two fish markets namely Sultan Shah Bazar and Tarun Shah Bazar have been set up beside the Abdullahpur bus stand occupying three bighas of land of WDB and Road and Transport. At least 150 fish storage shops are located there. Sultan Sikder, Secretary of the market said that Sultan Shah and Tarun Shah are the owners of the market and are realizing TK. 200-300 from each storage daily as rent. Local land office sources said almost all these three bighas of land are government property. Local leaders of ruling party are patronizing the owners. Manager of the market Rasel said this is the inherited properties of the two brothers. They have constructed storage market here excluding government land. Additional Director General of WDB Afzal Hossain said not only Turag but also the land on the bank of other rivers have been occupied. Some grabbed huge land by taking lease small portion of it. Even some have constructed buildings and market illegally there. In a bid to recover the board’s land the concerned engineers have been asked to conduct survey on the land, he added.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Land being grabbed on bank of Turag with help of WDB officials:Daily Sun
huge chunk of land spreading 3km on river bank has fallen to prey to illegal business. It has been alleged that some unscrupulous officials of WDB are helping grabbers. The ruling party men are reportedly occupying government land. Sources said the grabbers are earning money from the market and other establishments on the occupied land. They took money as advance from the businessmen concerned. Outer of Abdullahpur canal at sluice gate area was blocked due to grabbing of land by Awami League leader. Al Amin, Harirampur union level leader of Awami League, allegedly set up kitchen market, shops and other establishments at the junction of river and canal. The kitchen market has been named after his father Tyeb Ali. Al Amin claimed he established market after taking the land from WDB on lease. He, however, declined to show any document to substantiate his claim. Several officials of WDB refused to have leased out any land. It was admitted by them that there is a system of leasing out land for one year for construction of roads considering public interest. But local people alleged that ruling party leader Al Amin grabbed the land putting Abdullahpur canal to risk. Effluents from the kitchen market are being dumped everyday blocking the outer. As a result, the canal is being filled gradually. It was found that many other locals along with Al Amin are establishing buildings on government land after occupying it. Their main identity is that they are pro-government people. It was found that the bank of Turag River is being occupied in the name of chairman of Harirampur union parishad and Awami League (AL) leader Abul Hashem. He is close to local MP Advocate Sahara Khatun. State Minister for Home Affairs also does not interferer in his work. Around Tk one and half crore was taken as advance from the 50 shops made on occupied lands. Rent per shop is Tk 10 to 15 thousand. It is being collected from each shop. Shopkeeper Shah Alam does not know who the real owner of the land is. He took the possession of the shop for Tk three lakh. He is paying Tk 10 thousand to Al Amin as rent. Several shopkeepers admitted the matter regarding the rent and advance. It was found that there is a two-storied mosque at the starting point of the canal, named as sluice gate Jam-e-Masjid which was constructed in 1997. Some shops were constructed beside the mosque. The existence of the canal is in danger due to these establishments. Local resident Idris Ali said there are several mosques in this area. Still it is hard to realise the necessity to establish another mosque occupying government land. There is a toilet on the north side of the mosque which is run commercially. Abdus Salam, khadem of the mosque said that he is collecting toll from the toilet users as per direction of Nasir Member, Chairman of managing committee of the mosque. Imam of the mosque, Jubail Ahmed said, the mosque was built over the land without prior permission from the WDB. Md Muhith Alam, senior vice president of Swechhasebak League of Uttara thana grabbed several bighas of land near Abdullahpur canal on the bank of the river Turag. He has been doing business by filling land since long. Recently he built a warehouse named “Bismillah fruits and raw material arat” by filling two bighas of land there. It has been alleged that he collected Tk 1.20 crore from different people by allocating 60 storehouses and collected Tk 15,000 to Tk 25,000 as rent per month from these storehouses. At least there are 20 piles of sand at Abdullahpur canal and on the bank of the river Turag. All are illegal. Among them, a businessman named Zakir Hossain owned one. It is learnt that Zakir Hossain is the nephew of Muhith Alam, a leader of ruling party. Both uncle and nephew grabbed huge land owned by Water Development Board. Zakir said, he did not grab any government land. He has been running sand business on the land on rent worth Tk 4 lakh annually from his uncle. About allegation, Muhith said that he owns some ancestral assets there. He built a vegetable warehouse taking lease of 28.93 decimal of land from Water Development Board. But he confessed that he took lease of WDB land for constructing road not for arat. Local sources said, Muhith built a bus depot by grabbing one bigha land of a person utilizing power of a leader of Swechhasebak League. Refusing the allegation, Muhith said that he has no connection with the bus depot. It was built by the members of the bus samity. During investigation, some vehicles of Kheya Paribahan were found there. WDB sources said that some lands of WDB were occupied by the Manjil Paribahan and Ahsania Mission Cancer Hospital. The WDB could not recover the land after their long time effort. Manjil Paribahan and Ahsania Mission authorities said that they are using 17 and 10 decimal of land taking lease from the WDB. Abdul Bakir shareholder of Manjil Paribahan said the land was being leased for parking vehicle. But now, it is not being used for transport. For this they kept sand on the open place. It was known after investigation that ruling party men setup makeshift house after grabbing land of Water Development Board worth more than Tk thousand crore on Turag bank adjacent to Abdullahpur-Ashulia road. They are earning crores of taka by renting them to lower income people. Establishment of Mosque-Madrasa and NGO School were also made there. Tenant of the slum, Amena Begum said the slum will not survive long time without backing from ruling party men. Kuddus Mia said sometimes they have to manage board officials by providing monthly payment. A madrasa was seen in a slum on the north side of Ahsania Mission Cancer Hospital. The name of the Madrasa is world Prophet (PBUH) Darul Ulum Madrasa and Orphanage that was said to be established in 1980. The institution is setup on one bigah land of the board but no approval was taken from the board. Local people said, “The religious institution was setup to sustain the slum.” Principal Abdul Kadir said the madrasa is setup on the land of Water Development Board. But, he could not tell anything about the approval. Two fish markets namely Sultan Shah Bazar and Tarun Shah Bazar have been set up beside the Abdullahpur bus stand occupying three bighas of land of WDB and Road and Transport. At least 150 fish storage shops are located there. Sultan Sikder, Secretary of the market said that Sultan Shah and Tarun Shah are the owners of the market and are realizing TK. 200-300 from each storage daily as rent. Local land office sources said almost all these three bighas of land are government property. Local leaders of ruling party are patronizing the owners. Manager of the market Rasel said this is the inherited properties of the two brothers. They have constructed storage market here excluding government land. Additional Director General of WDB Afzal Hossain said not only Turag but also the land on the bank of other rivers have been occupied. Some grabbed huge land by taking lease small portion of it. Even some have constructed buildings and market illegally there. In a bid to recover the board’s land the concerned engineers have been asked to conduct survey on the land, he added.
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