Encroachment on Arial Beel goes on unabated

Arial Beel, the third largest wetland in the country that covers an area of 136sqkm, is losing its existence due to land grabbing and land filling by so-called housing companies.

Indiscriminate filling in the water body in Srinagar Upazila of Munshiganj, hanging signboards and constructing buildings are damaging the biodiversity.

Earlier, the government retreated from its plan to construct an international airport in Arial Beel, but real estate companies and other unscrupulous people have continued grabbing the water body.

Sources said Padma Bridge, Dhaka-Bhanga Expressway and other physical infrastructures have rendered Munshiganj and adjoining areas an economic zone.

After the inauguration of Padma Bridge, a section of housing companies started filling rivers, canals and other water bodies on both sides of the road. Eventually, they moved to encroach on Arial Beel.

Without the approval of projects, the so-called realtors are taking lands on lease and hanging signboards to allure customers and earn crores of taka.

Sources said grabbing syndicates are illegally filling Arial Beel with sands dredgers and drum trucks and selling the mud of the water body to brickfields.

On August 16 this year, the High Court directed the Munshiganj Deputy Commissioner, the Superintendent of Police, the Srinagar Upazila Nirbahi Officer and the Directorate of Environment (DoE-Enforcement) Director to stop grabbing of Arial Beel, land filling and erection of structures.

The HC asked for a report on the water body along with satellite aerial map showing changes which took place between 2010 and 2022.

Acting on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), the HC also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain as to why their inaction to protect Arial Beel shall not be declared illegal.

HRPB President Advocate Manzill Murshid said a section of realtors are developing the 136sqkm beel, agricultural lands, khas lands, ponds and other water bodies by dredgers and drum trucks. The developers blocked many khals, including those connected to the Padma River, affecting fishes and crops.

Tens of thousands of local people are in great danger due to filling in khals, ponds and beel, causing water-logging.

An on-the-spot visit shows that the agricultural lands are flooded with signboards of eye-catching names of housing companies, including Marine Group, Gulshan City, Batayan, Pushpadhara Properties Limited, Dharitri, Dakhinachal, Shantinivas, Baridhara Housing Company, Maitri Eco Village and Padma City Housing.

The much-talked-about Arial Beel exists between the Padma and Dhaleshwari rivers comprising parts of Srinagar and Sirajdikhan in Munshiganj, Dohar and Nawabganj in Dhaka.

Arial Beel is the largest and antique water body in the central part of the country marked by wetness and dept of water even in the dry season. It has unfathomed water in the monsoon turning into crop fields in the winter.

Md Mizanur Rahman, deputy director of DoE in Munshiganj, said, “We haven’t permitted any realtor to initiate project in Arial Beel. Land grabbers and developers will face action as per law.”

In 2011, the government moved to construct Bangabandhu International Airport in Arial Beel but abandoned the project in the face of massive movement.

Local people under the banner of Arial Beel Rokkha Committee (Arial Beel Protection Committee) waged the movement. On January 31 that year, thousands of people blocked Dhaka-Mawa highway and clashed with police, leaving a policeman dead.

Although the government cancelled the airport project, the sign-boarded realtors and other unscrupulous people have been indiscriminately encroaching on the water body.

The Natural Water Reservoir Conservation Act 2000 prohibits water bodies being developed into high land. Besides, filling in government water reservoirs, erecting structures, excavating sand and clay, blocking water flow and changing direction of water are illegal.

To construct a housing project, its owner will have to own at least 10 acres of land, obtain trade licence from the union parishad concerned, permission from the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, permission from the DC and DoE, sources said, adding that none of the realtors followed the rules.

Solaiman Hossain, chairman of Hashara Union Parishad, said he did not issue trade licence to any realtor.

“The district administration has instructed us not to issue trade licence to any realtor. I haven’t issued any licence yet. So, the housing companies erected signboards on the water body illegally,” he said.

Echoing the above view, Md Tajul Islam, chairman of Srinagar Union Parishad, said, “I have not issued trade licence to any realtor. So, the housing companies erected signboards without permission.”

Shirin Akhter, clerk (SA Section) at the Deputy Commissioner's office, said some housing companies’ applications for permission are pending with the district administration.

Without permission, the realtors are developing land in the beel, erecting signboards and selling sands to brickfields. The local administration cannot take any action against the grabbers in absence of any written complaint.

Md Abu jafar Ripon, deputy commissioner of Munshiganj, said, “I have directed the UNO concerned to take action against the people involved in digging agricultural lands in Arial Beel and filling in the water body. Making list of illegal realtors is underway. The grabbers will face action soon.”