Brahmanbaria Titas River filling up assured by administration

Former district convener of Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) Azizur Rahman Liton has come under discussion this time over the allegation of filling up the Titas River in Brahmanbaria. It has been alleged that the work of filling up the area adjacent to the river by dumping sand is going on, claiming land owned by him. On the spot, it was seen that filling up activities have been going on for about a month in the area adjacent to the Titas River in the eastern side of Medda Crematorium in the north of Brahmanbaria city, in the northern part of Kashinagar...

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Former district convener of Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) Azizur Rahman Liton has come under discussion this time over the allegation of filling up the Titas River in Brahmanbaria. It has been alleged that the work of filling up the area adjacent to the river by dumping sand is going on, claiming land owned by him.

On the spot, it was seen that filling up activities have been going on for about a month in the area adjacent to the Titas River in the eastern side of Medda Crematorium in the north of Brahmanbaria city, in the northern part of Kashinagar village in Suhilpur union of Sadar upazila. First, the river bank and adjacent low-lying land were raised using excavators. Later, for the last four days, sand has been brought from the Meghna River in bulkheads and dumped regularly.
In this regard, Sohel Ahad, convener of the social organization ‘Dheu’, which works to protect rivers and water bodies, expressed concern and said, “The Titas River is shrinking day by day due to the silence and indifference of the administration. If strict measures are not taken now, the Titas River will eventually be confined to the pages of history. Immediate and effective steps are needed to protect the small rivers of the district, including the Titas.”
Regarding the complaint, former district convener of the NCP, Azizur Rahman Liton, said, “The river is not being filled. The land on the banks of the river belongs to me. Sand is being dumped about 20 feet away from the river inside my land.” He further claimed that since the area has commercial potential, an industrial plant will be set up there in the future, which will play a role in local employment.
However, in response to a question about whether permission has been taken from the concerned administration before filling the land along the river or setting up an industrial plant there, he said that no government department has been contacted yet in this regard.
The Deputy Director of the Brahmanbaria Department of Environment could not be reached for comment on this matter as his mobile phone was switched off. In addition, Bhairab-Ashuganj River Port and Transport Authority officer Md. Nadim Hossain did not respond despite repeated attempts to contact him.
Brahmanbaria Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sifat Md. Ishtiaq Bhuiyan said, “The matter has been taken into consideration. Necessary measures will be taken after investigation.”
Deputy Commissioner Md. Abusaid said, “I was not aware of the river filling. I will quickly investigate and take necessary measures to stop the filling activities.