Grabbers' eye on canal

A kitchen market is being set up illegally in Kuakata Municipality area occupying  a canal and khas land.

Three councilors of the municipality, including the panel mayor, have filled up 43 decimals of land of Ghatlar Khal to set up a kitchen market with 29 shops, of which they would be given one each.

The councillors are Md Shah Alam Howlader of Ward No 3, Abul Hossain Farazee of Ward No 5 and Panna Mia of Ward No 6 and also the panel mayor of the municipality.

Mayor of the municipality, also president of Kuakata municipality unit of Awami League (AL), Abdul Bareq Mollah will get 26 shops, locals said.

Shah Alam and Farazee have already built separate tin-shed shops, while Panna is gathering construction materials.

Locals said filling up of the canal started in June with sand brought from Khajura area of Kuakata sea beach, and ended on September 30.

Some local journalists visited the spot recently and found that piling had been done with bamboo fencing (locally called chatai), and an earthen dam had been built.

Farazee said he was a fish trader and he set up the shop to expand his business. The mayor will decide whether it is legal or illegal, he added.

Panna said they filled a portion of the canal with 58,000 sqft of sand at a cost of Tk 7.65 lakh. It will take around Tk 25 lakh to complete the market, and they will pay the expenses, he added.

They will balance all expenses after the municipality floats a tender for construction of the market, Panna said, adding that they had submitted a letter to the deputy commissioner (DC) praying for getting the land on lease.

Surveyor of Kalapara upazila land office Abdul Haque said they were not aware of the matter.

Assistant Engineer of the municipality Md Tanvir Ahmed said the matter was discussed once in a monthly meeting without any decision. There is no plan or estimate for the job, and permission has not been received from the authorities concerned, he added.

Bareq Mollah said they took the step to set up a kitchen market as there is no such market in the area. Tender process will be started soon, he added.

DC of Patuakhail AKM Shamimul Haq Siddique said steps would be taken after investigation, adding that the market would be removed if it was illegally built.