The Gomti River Eviction Order has been issued by the High Court, instructing the Cumilla Deputy Commissioner (DC) to evict 508 illegal structures built along both banks of the river within the next six months.
In addition, the court directed the Superintendent of Police and the respective Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) to ensure continuous monitoring so that no further encroachment or illegal filling of the river takes place.
The verdict came on Sunday (August 3) from a High Court bench comprising Justice Md Mojibur Rahman Mia and Justice Bashir Ullah. The order followed the final hearing of a public interest litigation filed by the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) in 2011.
The HRPB filed the writ petition in response to multiple news reports highlighting illegal occupation and construction on the Gomti River in Cumilla.
Following initial hearings, the High Court issued a rule on March 2, 2011, directing authorities to conduct a survey and submit a list of illegal encroachments. The survey identified 623 illegal structures, of which 265 were confirmed to be removed as per a submitted affidavit.
With today’s ruling, the remaining 508 structures are now to be removed under strict court supervision.
Senior lawyer Manzill Murshid represented the petitioner, assisted by lawyers Sanjay Mondal and Nasrin Sultana. Deputy Attorney General Md Mohsin Kabir stood for the state.
As part of the ruling, the High Court instructed the Bangladesh Water Development Board to decide on a dredging proposal for the Gomti River within three months.
Advocate Manzill Murshid noted that the High Court has further instructed the concerned authorities to finalize necessary funding arrangements within three months to complete the eviction drive. The DC had previously requested funding from the ministry, but the court advised using the Land Revenue (LR) fund to initiate the process if needed.
The High Court emphasized that the Gomti River Eviction Order must be implemented without delay to preserve the river’s natural flow and prevent future environmental degradation.
