Chattogram district administration on Sunday knocked down at least 350 risky makeshift structures from the hills and recovered 2.88 acres of government land in Beltolighona area under Akbarshah police station of Chattogram.
The two-day operation identified 15 hot spots of hill cutting, and filed cases against the hill cutters
From Sunday morning to 4:30 pm, an operation was conducted under the supervision of four executive magistrates of the district administration to evacuate the structures and houses built by cutting the hill in Beltolighona area adjacent to Faizlake under Akbarshah police station.
Evacuation drive to protect mountains and nature was conducted by Senior Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate Md. Tauhidul Islam and Assistant Commissioner (Land), Kattoli Circle Md. Umar Faruq, Assistant Commissioner (Land), Chandgaon Circle Md. Masud Rana and Assistant Commissioner (Land), Bakolia Circle Jamiul Hikmah.
Policemen of CMP, OC Wali Uddin of Akbar Shah Police Station, Assistant Director of Environment Department Mohammad Hasan, RAB-7, Fire Service and Civil Defense team in the evacuation operation; Narcotics Directorate representative, PDB team, Karnaphuli Gas representative,
WASA representative, Ansar members were present.
It known that all the structures/houses which have been built by cutting hills without permission, in violation of the law, in the forest Salimpur-Alinagar area of Sitakunda Upazila, Bayezid Bostami Police Station, Akbar Shah Police Station, Khulshi Police Station, Sitakunda Upazila.
In consideration of this matter, the evacuation operation to recover the hills of Chattogram has been completed on the second day according to the instructions of Chattogram Deputy Commissioner Abul Basar Mohammad Fakhruzzaman. Akbarshah Thana, the most dangerous hilly area of Chattogram metropolitan areas, its being given importance in the first phase of illegal eviction and illegal structures in the hills in violation of environmental laws. In the recent years 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, only landslides have killed people in Akbar Shah area.
Akbarshah is getting other living facilities including setting up houses in the hills of the area due to the vigorous activities of various NGOs and microfinance institutions.
Various donors and charitable organizations are carrying out extensive activities in dangerous and illegal slums in the hills. Drains, toilets, roads and even schooling activities here are funded by them.
In order to implement the judgment of the Supreme Court, apart from the eviction/removal of structures from the hilly land in the ongoing campaign to protect the hills, a separate regular case will be filed by the Department of Environment against those people who have cut the hill and built without the permission of the environment.
The Executive Magistrate who conducted the eviction operation identified the representative of the Department of Environment after inspecting the ground situation against those persons who cut the hill in the Akbarshah area or provided fuel for the hill cutting. Ansar has been deployed to ensure round-the-clock security of the recovered hilly areas.
