The rampage of construction of illegal structures on the right side of the old Brahmaputra river that flows through the heart of Mymensingh city is going on. Due to the construction of structures on both sides of the dam and on the dam itself, the risk of the city protection dam is increasing. These structures have been built on the embankment from Jaibangla Chattar at Patgudam Brahmaputra Bridge Crossing to Kachari Ferry Ghat via Thanarghat. Yesterday afternoon, new illegal structures were seen to be constructed.
These illegal establishments have been given a valid connection to the electricity department! Many are also selling dam land to others in the form of plots. Many have built semi-finished houses and rented them elsewhere. Many establishments have for-rent signs. Some have bordered the VT with brick walls on the side of the embankment.
It is alleged that some influential local people are extorting money from the beneficiaries by helping to build these structures on the dam. The number of illegal installations is increasing day by day as the local officials of the Water Development Board are pretending not to know about the matter. As a result, the city has become unprotected. Advocate General Secretary of Mymensingh Environment Protection and Development Movement
Shibbir Ahmed Liton expressed concern about this and said that due to the lack of monitoring by the local administration and the water development board, the city protection dam is becoming vacant. Mymensingh Executive Engineer of Water Development Board Akhlat Ul Jamil said that the matter will be investigated and necessary measures will be taken. Deputy Commissioner of Mymensingh Mohammad Enamul Haque said that the water development board built the city's protection dam in place of the government's Khas Khatian under the right bank conservation project of the old Brahmaputra river. He said that the illegal structures built on the dam will be identified and eviction operations will be conducted soon.
According to local sources, to protect the city of Mymensingh from the collapse of the old Brahmaputra river, the Water Development Board constructed a city protection dam of about 10 km from the Jaibangla square of Patgudam Brahmaputra Bridge to Khakdahar through Thanarghat, Kachari Ferighat and Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Udyan. But because there is no monitoring by the local officials of the Water Development Board, this city is being encroached day and night. It has been seen on the ground that many illegal structures have been built on both sides of the dam and on top of the dam.
These semi-paved structures of tinsheds with brickwork on the embankment have electricity connections. These establishments include hotels, restaurants, tea stalls, Bhangari shops, show rooms, welding factories, furniture and grocery shops, along with the Chapra Basatghar. Kachari from Jaibangla Chattar at Patgudam Bridge Junction
More than three hundred such structures have been built on the embankment up to Ferighat. Among them there are more than half a hundred small and big commercial establishments.
It is alleged that some local influential people including the relatives of Nasu Mia and deceased Mofiz Uddin are extorting money by helping outsiders to build structures on the dam.
And a class of corrupt officials of the electricity department are filling their pockets by connecting electricity to these illegal establishments. At least 10 small and big commercial establishments have been constructed in the past one month within a kilometer from Jaibangla Chattar of Patgudam Bridge to the old ferry ghat.
More building materials are left behind. Locals said that Motaleb (40), son of deceased Arfan Ali, has been running a grocery shop on the embankment for the past five years. The neighboring housewife is using the bypass electricity connection from Parveen's house. 100 rupees per lamp per month. Parveen has given electricity connection to a few more such shops.
Kazi Tipu Sultan, a local leader of Awami Mahanagar Jubo League, built a semi-paved house on the embankment for his brother Suruzzaman and sold juice and soft drinks in it. In one way, Alam (50) and Lucky (40) gave Bhangari shops, Mahindra drivers Mubarak, Idris, Shahjahan, Khokon, Shaheed, Chahera and Asma, and many others are doing their own business by erecting semi-finished houses in VT on brick walls on the city defense embankment.
