Shipbreaker evicted from forest land in Sitakunda

Chattogram district administration has evicted the shipbreaking unit of Kohinoor Steel built illegally by clearing forests along the coast of the Bay of Bengal in Sitakunda upazila.

The structure, including a two-storey building on a khas land, was demolished during a drive by a mobile court led by executive magistrates Md Al Amin and Md Moinul Hasan today (25 June).

Representatives of the Sitakunda upazila administration and police were present during the eviction.

Photo: Courtesy

Executive Magistrate Md Al Amin told The Business Standard that the structure was built illegally on a khas land located in Tulatali mouza outside the industrial zone. "Therefore, it has been demolished on the orders of the deputy commissioner."

Earlier, on 14 February 2022, the Chattogram district administration leased five acres of land to Kohinoor Steel, owned by Abul Kashem, who is known as Raja Kashem, amid allegations that most of the leased land falls outside the designated zone for the shipbreaking industry, in Tutali mouza.

On 29 May 2023, Chattogram district administration conducted an eviction drive at Kohinoor Steel's shipbreaking yard, and the lease was subsequently cancelled on 1 June that year.

However, in March last year, Kohinoor Steel regained the lease of the five-acre land following an appeal by Raja Kashem to the divisional commissioner of Chattogram, despite a court injunction following accusations of clearing forest to establish the shipbreaking yard.

On 30 May last year, the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) filed a contempt of court plea in connection with the leasing of the land. 

Previously, BBC Steel, a company owned by Abul Kashem, had applied to Chattogram district administration in November 2018 for the lease of 21.57 acres of land in North Salimpur mouza to construct a shipbreaking yard industry. 

However, Sitakunda land office found the land is also part of Tulatali mauza, situated west of North Salimpur and along the Bay of Bengal coast and outside the shipbreaking industrial zone. 

It noted that no yards could be established on coastal land outside the designated shipbreaking industrial zone, including Tulatali mauza.

The next year, BBC Steel was again granted a lease of 7.10 acres of land in Tulatali mouza, despite objections from the Forest Department that the leased land was not within the special area designated for shipbreaking.

Later, the BELA filed a public interest litigation in the High Court to cancel the lease. On 2 January 2020, the High Court declared the lease process unauthorised and ordered the district administration and the Forest Department to take measures to protect the forest land.