The upazila nirbahi officer of Banaripara in Barisal has planted a
signboard in the middle of the Sandhya river, claiming three acres of
land.
Banaripara UNO Syeed AZ Morshed Ali did not try to hide what
he was doing. He told The Daily Star, “I have erected an enclosure in
the river of my own accord as a char is emerging there and land grabbers
might take it.”
The UNO, responsible for protecting the rivers from being encroached
upon, said he could have allocated “the land” to people but they would
not have been able to use it properly.
“I have informed the DC
[deputy commissioner] of the matter and talked to the local MP to build
these structures, making a project and having it okayed by the
government and the MP has agreed to it,” he claimed, adding that the
municipality would be able to do the work quickly.
His sign reads: “Senior citizens' park, rest house, recreation centre, food court, and a mosque and a temple”
