Some influential locals have grabbed a vast swathe of khas land, hills, canals and rivers in Cox’s Bazar.
Locals said the governmentkhas landthat can be occupied without any obstacle in Cox’s Bazar by giving bribes and this leads the competition to occupy the land in this tourist city.
Not only khas land is being occupied, but hills, canals, and rivers are being occupied regularly by unscrupulous beings. Concerned authorities said that 70 percent of thekhas land in the district is currently under illegal occupation.
This not only harms the natural environment and ecosystem but also the government is losing properties worth Tkbillions.
It is alleged that the district administration is not taking effective actions to reclaim the land even though there is open extortion due to bribery. Although denying the issue of bribery, the district administration consistently claimedto take action against the encroachers.
Local sources said that the government is implementing development mega projects under a master plan for the tourist city. Due to this, the prices of the land in Cox’s Bazar have increased significantly.
Taking advantage of this, by managing the administration, land grabbers are building structures by occupying government land, hills, and rivers. Whenever environmental organisations issue notices to protect the environment, the administration becomes somewhat active. However, no effective measures are seen thereafter.
Recently, Faridul Islam from the Peshkar Para area of Cox's Bazar, by occupying government land worthTk several crores, constructed rental houses at Pona Market on the eastern side of the new Bak Khali Bridge.
When contacted, Farid told the journalists, "I am building houses by bribing the deputy commissioner and the assistant commissioner (Land). Writing about me will not make any difference because I have transactions with them.”
He further said, "Once the assistant commissioner (Land) came to evict my under-construction house. After receiving the cash, he quietly left. Since then, the issue of bribery transactions within the district administration has come to the front."
To continue the land grabbing and construction of houses on the occupied land, Faridul Islam regularly hosts gatherings with identified criminals and leaders from various levels of the ruling party.
On June 8, he organised a picnic on the occupied land with identified criminals and leaders from the ruling party. When a dozen media workers arrived at the scene, Farid again told the journalists about bribing the deputy commissioner.
On April 24, the assistant commissioner (Land) of Cox's Bazar Sadar gave written instructions to the deputy commissioner to reclaim the occupied land. This letter was signed by Deputy Collector (Revenue) ManjurAlam on behalf of the deputy commissioner. But for mysterious reasons, the Assistant Commissioner did not reclaim the occupied government land even after going to the spot.
Local Advocate Abdul Khalek said that land grabber FaridulAlam has ignored the High Court's order and occupied the government land and the water drainage canal adjacent to the LGED-constructed culvert, causing waterlogging on his fallow land. He fears what will happen during the rainy season.
To protect the government land and implement the High Court's order, he applied to the DC on April 1. Despite the deputy commissioner's directive, the assistant commissioner (Land) did not recover the government land even after visiting the site.
He alleged that land grabber Farid had managed to bribe the deputy commissioner and the assistant commissioner (Land) with a large amount of money, ensuring that no one would come to evict him from the occupied government land.
Whenasked Cox's Bazar SadarUpazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) ArifUllahNizamiabout the allegation, he denied the bribe transaction and said that hehad asked Farid to vacant the government khasland voluntarily. He added that if Farid has not vacated and has built structures, an eviction operation will be conducted.
Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Shaheen Imran said, “If anyone has occupied government land, they will be evicted."
