Google Alert – BD Army
The 5th day of the ongoing operation came to an abrupt halt as protestors clashed with law enforcement, vandalised machinery and blocked key roads in Cox’s Bazar, including main airport road.
Despite deploying bulldozers and being accompanied by executive magistrates, police, RAB and army personnel, BIWTA team was unable to advance beyond the early stages of the day’s operation near Nuniyarchhara and Natun Baharchhara.
By early morning, hundreds of locals took to the streets, staging demonstrations and erecting barricades using pushcarts and burning tyres.
Protesters claimed they had been living on the land legally for decades, paying land taxes on documented plots. They vowed not to vacate without a legal fight, saying they would rather die than be evicted from their homes.
Lengthy discussions between the protesters and authorities, including army officers and magistrates, failed to de-escalate the situation.
The protests triggered severe traffic congestion on major roads in the area.
Former MP and BNP central leader Lutfor Rahman Kajal, along with leaders from various political parties, arrived at the scene and urged administration to suspend the operation and verify land ownership documents before proceeding further.
In response, BIWTA announced a temporary suspension of the eviction drive. The law enforcement and administrative personnel, along with excavators, withdrew from the area, after which political leaders persuaded the protestors to lift their blockade.
By noon, traffic movement on the main roads had resumed.
Speaking to the media, Lutfor Rahman Kajal expressed concern over suddenness of the eviction, questioning whether the drive was part of a broader attempt to destabilise the government.
He noted that many of the properties being demolished were long-established settlements with land documents and valid tax receipts.
Kajal urged the authorities to resolve the issue through peaceful dialogue and proper verification of land records to avoid causing unnecessary fear among the public.
BIWTA officials declined to comment on the situation.
The eviction drive, which began on Monday, initially progressed without incident for the first two days.
However, public resistance halted operations on the third day, resumed briefly on the fourth and was again suspended on the fifth.
Earlier incidents include attacks on police and obstruction of government work, for which two cases have been filed, naming 650 individuals.
According to BIWTA sources, the Bakkhali River originating at Naikhongchhari in Bandarban and flowing into the Bay of Bengal via Ramu and Cox’s Bazar Sadar, has faced widespread encroachment, especially along a six-kilometre stretch between Nuniyarchhara and Majhirghat.
Over the past decade, more than 1,000 illegal structures have been built in this zone. Joint surveys by local land office and BIWTA have identified over 350 influential individuals among the encroachers.
A 2010 government gazette declared BIWTA as the custodian of the Bakkhali river port, allocating 721 acres of riverbank land under its control.
Despite repeated requests, the local administration reportedly failed to hand over the land, which led to continued encroachment.
In 2023, a joint operation by district administration cleared more than 600 illegal structures and reclaimed over 300 acres of riverbank mangrove land.
However, encroachment resumed and over 200 new structures were built in the reclaimed area.
Following a recent High Court order on August 24, the government has been instructed to demarcate the Bakkhali River based on its current flow and RS survey maps, prepare a complete list of encroachers and take steps to evict them and control pollution within four months.
As part of this directive, Maritime Affairs Adviser Brigadier General (Retd) Dr. M. Sakhawat Hussain visited Cox’s Bazar and led a coordination meeting at Hilltop Circuit House on implementing the High Court’s order.
He later told the media that all encroachers would be evicted based on a comprehensive and coordinated list.
Following his remarks, the latest eviction drive was launched, now temporarily paused due to growing public unrest.