1,000 more sued over halting eviction on Bakkhali River 

One thousand more people, including 29 named, have been sued on charges of obstructing government work and assaulting officials during the fifth day of an eviction drive against illegal structures along the banks of the Bakkhali River in Cox's Bazar.

With this, a total of 1,650 people have been accused in three cases since the operation began on 1 September.

Cox's Bazar Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Elias Khan confirmed that Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) port officer Md Abdul Wakil filed the case yesterday. 

Former district Chhatra Dal general secretary Advocate Monir Uddin was named the prime accused. Political leaders, lawyers, businessmen, and locals were also implicated.

Drive suspended amid protest

The eviction campaign, jointly conducted by BIWTA and the district administration, was suspended on Friday after facing strong resistance. 

Officials—accompanied by an executive magistrate, police, RAB, and army personnel—had moved towards Nuniarchhara and Natun Baharchhara with bulldozers in the morning.

However, hundreds of residents blocked the main and airport roads with pushcarts and burning tyres. Despite repeated negotiations by magistrates and army officers, the protesters refused to disperse, claiming they held valid land documents and had paid taxes for years. Many declared they would rather die than abandon their homes.

As the standoff dragged on, traffic in the area came to a standstill, leaving BIWTA staff and law enforcement stranded.

Protest to the eviction has grown since the drive began. On 2 September, a case was filed against 259 people—nine named—for attacking police and obstructing work. The following day, another case was filed against 411 people, including 11 named individuals, after similar disruptions.

Encroachment History

According to BIWTA sources, the 81-kilometre-long Bakkhali River, which originates in Naikhongchhari, passes through Ramu and Cox's Bazar Sadar before flowing into the Bay of Bengal.

Encroachment is most severe along a six-kilometre stretch between Nuniarchhara and Majhirghat, where over 1,000 illegal structures have been built in the last decade.

In February 2010, a government gazette appointed BIWTA as conservator of the Bakkhali River Port, with instructions to hand over 721 acres of riverbank land. However, delays allowed illegal occupation to expand.

In early 2023, a joint drive cleared over 600 structures, freeing 300 acres of mangrove land. But many areas were later reoccupied, with more than 200 houses and shops rebuilt.

On 24 August this year, the High Court directed the government to identify all encroachers, evict them within four months, and prevent further pollution of the river. The order also required an RS survey to determine the river's original boundaries.

Following the ruling, Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain visited Cox's Bazar on 30 August and announced that a comprehensive list of encroachers would be prepared. The current eviction drive began on 1 September.

According to BIWTA, more than 400 illegal structures were demolished in the first two days, reclaiming at least 56 acres of river land.