Mohammad Khorshed Helali, Cox’s Bazar: Dr. Sakhawat Hossain, Adviser to the Ministry of Shipping, Labour, and Employment, said, “For a long time, I have heard that the Bakkhali River is the lifeline of this district. I have seen its past condition. Observing its current state, it seems the river is on the verge of dying due to encroachment and pollution. We cannot allow encroachers to build structures along its banks while we plan to establish a river port. The Ministry of Shipping will oversee the eviction process, while the Ministry of Environment will address environmental compensations. The eviction drives will commence shortly to restore the Bakkhali to its former glory.”
Dr. Sakhawat made these remarks to journalists on Thursday (April 24) after inspecting the Kasturaghat area along the banks of the Bakkhali River in Badrmukam, Cox’s Bazar.
Earlier, at 11:00 AM, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Forests, Environment, and Climate Change, along with Dr. Sakhawat Hossain, visited the Kasturaghat area near Badrmukam Mosque to observe the encroached sections of the Bakkhali River. They also visited the newly constructed Cox’s Bazar-Khurushkul Bridge and its surrounding areas.
Environmentalists have long pointed out that almost daily, unauthorized concrete structures are being built along the banks of the Bakkhali by influential individuals. Due to administrative limitations and legal complexities, a reckless competition for encroachment continues. This vital river, one of the most important in the district, has become virtually orphaned. Despite court orders prohibiting it, waste is being dumped into the riverbed, filling it up. Over a thousand illegal establishments have been built by occupying river lands and destroying mangroves. Although the district administration occasionally demolishes some structures, they are often rebuilt. Once the primary commercial hub of the city, Kasturaghat has now turned into a massive residential area.
To investigate these longstanding allegations, the advisers to the Ministries of Environment and Shipping visited different parts of the Bakkhali River, including Kasturaghat, on Thursday.
On the same day, at 4:30 PM, the two advisers were scheduled to hold a meeting with officials from the district administration, Coast Guard, Navy, district police, Department of Environment, and other relevant agencies at the conference room of the District Commissioner’s office.
The meeting is expected to address significant decisions regarding the prevention of illegal encroachment and pollution at the Cox’s Bazar river port, installation of boundary pillars, and dredging operations, as outlined in the adviser’s itinerary signed by Zahidul Islam, Private Secretary to the Shipping Adviser.
Meanwhile, separate reports from the Department of Environment, National River Conservation Commission, and BIWTA for 2023-2024 identified 131 individuals involved in encroachment along the Bakkhali River. Today’s meeting has drawn attention from the conscious public of Cox’s Bazar, eager to know what decisions will be made regarding them. Among these, 50 individuals have been identified near the Khurushkul Bridge adjacent to Kasturaghat, with 23 of them facing cases filed by the Department of Environment.
After inspecting the Bakkhali River, Dr. Sakhawat Hossain officially inaugurated the sea truck service on the Cox’s Bazar-Moheshkhali waterway. The sea truck was launched from the 6th Jetty, and the adviser traveled to Moheshkhali by this vessel, where he addressed a gathering of distinguished guests.
