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CRB in grabbers’ clutches again
Encroachers occupy 3-acre land to build houses
SIFAYET ULLAH, Ctg
Encroachers have reoccupied most of the railway land at CRB’s Tulatoli area in Chattogram city and built structures illegally, turning the scenic hilly area into a slum.
The estate department of Bangladesh Railway (BR) earlier recovered the land, around three acres in area, through an eviction drive in March 2022. Grabbers had attacked BR staff during the drive, leaving seven critically injured.
During a recent visit to the spot, this correspondent observed that encroachers have already built hundreds of structures there illegally, including shanties and shops.
Mentionable, a Detailed Area Plan prepared by the Chattogram Development Authority, which was published in Gazette on January 25, 2009, announced that the around 210 acres of land in CRB area is a cultural heritage site and cannot be used for any commercial purposes or for building any high-rises.
A study conducted by a teacher of Chittagong University’s botany department found around 225 rare plant species in the CRB area.
BR made a list in 2022 and found that over 1,700 people were living in the slum.
According to locals and BR officials, a number of syndicates, led by local influential people, constructed these structures again and rented those to low-income people, including rickshaw pullers and day-labourers.
Talking to at least 10 slum dwellers, this correspondent found that Abdus Shukkur, a local influential, has built over 100 shanties in the slum and is also living in a house built illegally on railway land.
BR officials also corroborated the information.
Contacted, Shukkur admitted that he had grabbed railway land to build his house, but denied grabbing any other land to build shanties for slums.
“My opponents are spreading false information by tagging me as a land grabber to take advantage,” he claimed.
BR filed a case against nine grabbers including Abdus Shukkur with Kotwali Police Station for attacking BR staff in an eviction drive last year.
Sujan Chowdhury, estate officer (east) of BR, said, “We removed more than 800 illegal structures from Tulatoli of the CRB last year, but encroachers have reoccupied the land.”
“I have informed the higher authorities about the matter. Hopefully, they will launch eviction drives soon to recover the land,” he added.
Earlier, the railway wanted to build a hospital in CRB under a Public-Private Partnership. But the estate agency was forced to shift the hospital project elsewhere amid continuous protests from the port city residents.
Besides, BR has also stopped the construction of ATM booths at CRB after the controversy started.