The Kasturaghat area of Bankkhali river is about 500 meters north of Sadar Model Thana in Cox's Bazar town. Khurushkul is on the other side of the river. A 595 meter long bridge is being built over the Bankkhali river in the middle.
Before the completion of the construction of the bridge, the banks of the river were occupied. First the plants of Parabon were destroyed and then the river was filled with sand and plots are being made and sold. In this way, Parabon has been demolished in an area of about 600 hectares along the connecting road and various structures including hundreds of houses that are being constructed.
On Friday (April 15), a team of Cox's Bazar district administration led by Additional Deputy Commissioner Md Amin Al Parvez visited the site and found out the truth about the destruction of Bharat and Parabon trees by occupying the river and talking to the occupants and guards . Ibrahim Khalil Ullah Mamun, chief executive of Youth Environment Society (YES), an environmental organization, was also present along with the district administration team. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Cox's Bazar Md. Amin Al Parvez said, "I have come to inspect the site on the instructions of the Deputy Commissioner after receiving allegations of river occupation and destruction of Parabon."
The inspectors also found the truth of the allegation of filling up the river and destroying the trees of Bharat and Parabon. The High Court has also directed to evict the river occupants.
Therefore, action will be taken against the occupiers of the river and those involved in the plot trade by destroying the trees of Parabon in a short time. All installations built and under construction will be evicted.
Ibrahim Khalil Mamun, chief executive of the environmental organization Youth Environment Society (YES), said that in the last two months, more than 100 tin houses and buildings have been constructed in Kasturaghat area of Bakankhali river by occupying and filling the river in an area of 600 hectares. Habitat and biodiversity of 205 species of birds have been destroyed due to deforestation. In addition, the course of the river has shrunk due to the occupation of other areas of the river.
This environmentalist leader said that there was a time when ships used to ply with Chittagong through Kasturaghat of Bankkhali river. The main commercial center of the municipality was Kasturaghat. The width of the river from here to Khurushkul was one and half kilometer. There was a flow of water over this one and a half kilometer. Due to occupation, pollution and flooding, the water level in the river is now 400 meters or 200 meters.
Since the commencement of work on the 595-meter-long connecting bridge, parabens and wetlands along the river have been destroyed. Therefore, it is necessary to take immediate action against these activities that are destroying the environment. It is said that Bakankhali is the main river of Cox's Bazar district. At least 6 lakh people depend on this river for their livelihood. In addition, millions of other people are dependent in various ways. Therefore, it is necessary to protect this river in any way in the interest of the common people. However, influential people are illegally occupying this important river and building various structures. Again, many people are filling the river and making housing plots and selling them.
In the wake of a writ case filed by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), the High Court on September 16, 2014 compiled a list of occupants of the Bakankhali river and directed to stop it by identifying the source of their eviction and pollution.
Besides, the secretary of the land ministry, deputy commissioner of Cox's Bazar instructed 10 government officials to refrain from leasing the river for any purpose. The court issued a rule asking why the Bankkhali river should not be ordered to be declared an ecologically endangered area or why it should not be directed to protect it by demarcating it as per the initial flow and CS survey. Deputy Director of the Department of Environment Cox's Bazar Sheikh Mohammad. Nazmul Huda said, "Recently, two cases have been filed by the Department of Environment against the occupants and destroyers of the Bakankhali river.
Yet Parabon occupation and pollution are not going to stop. We don't have enough manpower to carry out regular operations.”
