Despite serious efforts by the government to reclaim grabbed lands of the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) from illegal occupants across the country, the progress in many cases is very slow as officials concerned cannot go against influential people reportedly backed by the ruling party.
RHD sources said about 4,854.717 acres of lands worth 3,512.165 crores have so far been reclaimed through demolishing 36,6770 illegal structures in nine zones of RHD from 2007 to 2014.
However, much more RHD lands are yet to be reclaimed due to impediments by different influential quarters, including ‘ruling party men’, the sources said.
Besides, the recently reclaimed RHD lands are also being reoccupied by grabbers in connivance with the officials working at the field level, they said.
Talking to UNB, Communications Secretary MAN Siddique said they are focusing on drives to remove illegal structures in Dhaka and its adjoining areas in a bid to improve the traffic situation.
“Of the unauthorised structures, temporary ones are now being demolished while permanent ones will be dismantled later,” he said.
Asked how long the drive will continue, he said, “We’ll be able to free roads and highways from illegal occupations very soon as directives have been issued to the officials concerned of RHD all zones.”
The Communications Secretary added that committees headed by all deputy commissioners have been formed to evict the illegal establishments in their respective areas across the country.
Habibul Haque, additional chief engineer of RHD Dhaka zone, said they have been able to remove 56963 illegal structures in the zone and reclaimed 1221.608 acres of lands worth Tk 1693.390 crores.
Still, vast tract of RHD lands have remained occupied, he added.
Claiming that the reclaimed RHD lands are being recaptured by the grabbers, he said it is necessary to either establish barbed wire fences surround the reclaimed lands or plant trees there to save the lands from reoccupation.
Asked how much RHD lands remained occupied by grabbers on roads and highways, RHD chief engineer Mafizul Islam Rajkhan expressed his inability to say the exact amount of occupied RHD lands.
During visits to different areas, the UNB correspondent found establishments to have been set up illegally on roads and walkways in Mirpur, Kalynpur, Tejgaon, Badda, Gulistan, Motijheel, Rampura, Malibagh, Bhatara and Gulshan areas.
Due to laxity of the local administration, illegal structures cannot be removed in the areas.
Illegal structures have been built up on large scale on roads and highways in different areas of Manikganj and Narayanganj.
Once a vacant government plot is identified, land sharks put up barbed wire fences or build a wall along the boundary. In some cases they look for prospective buyers claiming the land as a private property, RHD officials alleged.
In most cases, they do not get assistance from local administration or police in carrying our eviction drives.
In this connection, they mentioned that a real estate company has grabbed 37.37 acres RHD lands alongside Dhaka-Aricha highway.
Though letters were sent to the local administration seeking a magistrate and necessary police force, assistance is yet to be provided to the RHD authorities to evict the developer.
M Shahjahan, the executive engineer of RHD Narayanganj zone, said illegal structures have partially been demolished along Dhaka-Sylhet and Dhaka-Chittagong Highways.
Executive engineer of Gazipur district Muhibul Hoque said kitchen markets are being set up on roads in Cheragali and Signboard areas of Tongi even after eviction drives.
Talking to UNB, RHD chief engineer Mafizul Islam Rajkhan, said, “We’re conducting drives across the country to remove illegal establishments (on or beside roads and highways) to ensure uninterrupted vehicular movement.”
Shops, hat bazaars and different establishment have been set up illegally on or beside roads and highways hampering vehicular movement, he noted.
“Announcement through micro-phone is being made before eviction. Besides, time is being given to the grabbers to remove the illegal structures. If that doesn’t work, illegal establishments will be removed through administrative action,” he said.
Communications Ministry officials said traffic congestion in the capital will come down to extent if roadside illegal establishments are removed in Dhaka and its neighbouring districts–Gazipur, Narayanganj and Manikganj.
With the new government assumed office, its Communications Minister Obaidul Quader took up a 100-day programme with a view to removing illegal establishments on or beside roads and highways.
He has recently announced that the grabbers have been askd to remove the illegal structures on or beside roads and highways, adding that legal action will be taken against those violating the order.
Source: UNB Connect
