Caught in the act

The Turag takes a sharp turn just opposite the Bishaw Ijtema ground near the place where the sand traders have massively grabbed and narrowed down the river.

The Ijtema authorities have recently further developed and extended the ground towards the river. Signs of recent earth filling are apparent as the mud is new with grasses yet to grow there.

Everything is clearly visible on the other bank as the once mighty Turag, popularly knows as Kohor Daria [big river], has been reduced to hardly 50 feet in width here.

Just on the other side of the Ijtema ground stands the house of the Khan family on the riverbank. The head the family, Afsar Khan, was born at this house but now lives at a larger house in Uttara, Sector 9, Road 10.

He has rented out the house by the river and is constructing another just behind it. The structure of a two-storey building is already there and he is going to raise the second floor soon.

The construction is on since January on the slope of his old house. The RCC pillars are still standing in the waters. Though the site is behind the old house, it was clearly visible from the Tongi-Ashulia highway that he was bringing soil and sand by boats.

The Daily Star followed this specific encroachment and every activity of Khan just 500 metres west of the Tongi Bridge since the beginning.

This correspondent collected the address of Khan and visited his present house, but he was said not to be home. Speaking over phone, he claimed he did not encroach on the river; rather the river "eroded his land".

"I inherited this land from my father and grandfather. The Turag eroded our land so I filled it up and built the house," said Khan, a businessman of construction materials.

Earlier on January 14, the workers of Khan were seen filling up a part of the river through which floodwater flows to south from north. During several visits, it seemed the old house itself was built grabbing another part of the river years ago.

On February 9, Khan stared filling up the river bringing in dirt on boats and erecting the structure. His men started the work of the ground floor ceiling on March 16.

By April 26 he completed the work of the ground floor and started the first floor construction. The first floor work ended within May 9 and now he is working on the roof of the second floor.

Sohag Mia, caretaker of Khan, pointed out to the middle of the river and said his employer 'owns' up to that point.

Asked how the river was during his childhood, Khan said it was very deep and mighty. "Well, it was not that much wide but very deep and mighty," he said.

But when asked on Tuesday about the position of his land when the river was really wider as people and documents suggest, Khan asked this correspondent to talk to him face to face and cut the line.

Starting from the Tongi Bridge towards Ashulia, all the land owners along the bank have encroached on a portion of the river. The trend still continues as the government agencies concerned are reluctant to take any action.

Edited by Al Mamun Russell