The High Court has ordered the Chattogram port authorities to remove all illegal structures on the banks of Karnaphuli River.
On Tuesday (Apr 9), the bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Ashraful Kamal also ordered the chairman of the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) to report back within 30 days.
The court has set May 19 for the next hearing, said petitioner’s counsel Manzill Murshid.
“The court had previously ordered five officials, including the Chattogram deputy commissioner, to clear the illegal structure. The latest petition rights body Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) pleaded the court to order the CPA chief to take measures on clearing establishments illegally set up on land mostly owned by the port,” he said.
In 2010, a report on encroaching the banks of Karnaphuli River was published in the media.
Later, HRPB filed a public interest litigation petition.
After hearing the petition on Aug 16, 2016, the HC ordered the clearing of 2,187 establishments illegally set up on the banks of Karnaphuli River.
It had also ordered the district’s deputy commissioner to serve notice on the owners within seven days asking them to remove the illegal structures within 90 days from the date of notice publications in newspapers.