More Than 500 Illegal Shops Around Feni’s Rajajhir Dighi Under the Control of BNP Leaders

❐ District Representative

Illegal trade has been going on for years, occupying the banks of the historic Rajaji Dighi, located in the heart of Feni city. Although there are roads around the Dighi, illegal shops have made it difficult for pedestrians to walk, let alone traffic. In particular, more than five hundred illegal shops have been set up, occupying a large part of the southern, eastern and western banks of the Dighi. The garbage from these shops is being dumped in the Dighi.

As a result, this water body, a witness to the history of Feni city, has become faded due to encroachment and pollution. The entire area is now under the grip of encroachment and environmental pollution. It is learnt that the concerned administration is unable to take any action as these illegal shops are in the possession of BNP, Jubo Dal and Chhatra Dal leaders.

It is known that a king of the Manikya dynasty of Tripura dug this pond covering an area of ​​10.32 acres to restore the sight of his blind daughter. From then on, it was named Rajaji’s Pond or Rajnandini’s Pond. Located next to the Trunk Road, the heart of Feni city, this historic pond was once one of the city’s attractions. Visitors to Feni used to rush to enjoy its breathtaking beauty. They used to get a chance to breathe in the clear waters and fresh air of the pond.

The Feni Subdistrict Headquarters was established in 1875 around this Rajaji Dighi. Later, even after Feni was established as a district, the District and Sessions Judge’s Court, Officers’ Club, Court Mosque, Islamic Foundation, Assistant Superintendent of Police’s office and residence, and Feni Model Police Station were located on the east and west banks of the Dighi. The office of the Deputy Commissioner was located in the north-west corner, and various important establishments including the Roads and Highways Department’s post office and bungalow were located on the north bank. Later, various offices of the district headquarters were shifted to other places.

But despite its historical importance and the presence of important government facilities nearby, the pond and its surrounding area have now become unusable due to encroachment and pollution. Illegal shops are obstructing the movement of pedestrians. Locals complain that drug addicts, eve-teasers and members of teenage gangs have increased behind the shops. There are also allegations of drug dealing surrounding these shops. Recently, two unidentified bodies were recovered from this pond in the heart of the city.

Feni Municipality has built a beautiful walkway on the eastern and southern banks of the Dighi with the funding of the Ministry of Climate Change. However, due to illegal structures and the mischief of teenage gangs, it has become difficult to walk there in a normal environment. Although the administration has repeatedly announced the demolition of illegal structures, no effective action has been taken.

Earlier, in December 2016, April 2017 and March 2019, the Feni district administration and the municipality conducted eviction drives to clear the banks of the pond of illegal encroachments. However, after a few days, the area returned to its previous state. Although the municipality made a call to evacuate the shops, many traders did not respond. The traders expressed anger at the eviction without providing alternative employment or rehabilitation.

Locals allege that an influential group of 11 members from the district BNP, municipal BNP, district Jubo Dal and district Chhatra Dal controls these illegal businesses. The shops have been running under their umbrella for the past two years.

With the political change on August 5, these 11 BNP members took control of these shops. It has now become urgent to remove this long-standing illegal occupation and restore the natural environment and beauty of the pond. However, several officials said that the administration concerned is unable to take any action because it is occupied by influential leaders of the government party.

In this regard, Abdus Salam, a trader at the cooperative market, said that the business has been going on for years by illegally occupying government land and building shops. He alleged that earlier, Awami League leaders used to benefit from this business. After the political change on August 5, some leaders of BNP and its affiliates and some administration officials are also taking illegal benefits. He also alleged that a person named Ilias is assisting in these activities.

He further said that a businessman has to submit necessary documents including land documents to get electricity connection for his shop legally. Then it is necessary to investigate how the Power Development Board (PDB) provided the connection to these illegal shops. He demanded an immediate eviction drive to restore the beauty of this pond, known as the lungs of the district town.

Morshed Alam, a cloth merchant on the banks of the Dighi, said that his father had been doing business on the banks of the Dighi for a long time. He has been running the shop since his father’s death recently. Their family lives off the income from this shop. He claims that the livelihood of more than 2,000 people depends on the shops on the banks of the Dighi. If they cannot do business here, the livelihood of these families will be in crisis. If the district administration and the municipality build a hawkers’ market, it will create an opportunity for their permanent rehabilitation.

Feni Municipality Executive Engineer Zakir Uddin said that more than five hundred shops have been set up on the banks of Rajajir Dighi without the municipality’s approval. The municipality does not receive any rent from these shops. However, he has heard from people that some collect 600 taka per month from each shop. The municipality is not officially aware of this.

Feni City Businessmen’s Association President Zia Uddin Ahmed Mister said, “The illegal shops on the banks of Rajaji Dighi are a poison for the city. Those who run businesses legally, despite investing lakhs of taka and paying all kinds of taxes, are facing various adversities. On the other hand, illegal businesses cannot operate by occupying government land. He demanded the immediate demolition of these shops and restoration of the natural beauty of the Dighi.”

Feni District BNP Member Secretary Alal Uddin Alal said, “Today’s Feni city was founded around the Rajaji Dighi. Once upon a time, the important government offices of the city were located around the Dighi. But over time, the banks of the Dighi have now fallen into the hands of illegal hawkers.”

He said, if the administration had taken effective initiatives instead of conducting a nominal eviction drive and had arranged for renting these shops in a planned manner, the government could have earned huge revenue. If an initiative is taken to start an evening market, on the one hand, it will be possible to keep the area along the banks of the Dighi free of encroachment, and on the other hand, the hawkers can also be rehabilitated. He also said that if anyone uses the name of the party to collect extortion from these shops and if it is proven, organizational action will be taken against him.

In this regard, Feni Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Mahbubul Karim said, “The illegally built shops on the banks of Rajaji’s Dighi have been a long-standing problem. The next steps will be decided after discussing this issue with the Zilla Parishad, Feni Municipality and civil society representatives. It is necessary to evict these illegal shops and save the environment.”