Protests Halt Eviction Drive Along Bankhali River in Cox’s Bazar, Joint Forces Retreat

Local residents along the Bankhali River in Cox’s Bazar staged protests to prevent the eviction of illegally constructed structures, forcing the joint forces to retreat. On Wednesday, September 3, 2025, the third day of the eviction campaign, hundreds of residents obstructed the operation at the Peshkarpara section of the river starting at 11:00 AM. Later in the afternoon, when the joint forces resumed the drive, protesters surrounded the excavators, leading to the suspension of the operation.

The eviction drive follows a High Court order issued on August 24, 2025, directing the government to compile a list of all encroachers within four months and take effective measures to remove illegal structures and control pollution in the Bankhali River. The directive was reinforced by Brigadier General (Retd.) M. Sakhawat Hossain, Advisor to the Ministry of Shipping and Labour. The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) led the joint forces to commence the operation on Monday, September 1, 2025.

Over the past two days, the joint forces demolished 343 permanent and semi-permanent structures, including houses, in the Kosturaghat area, reclaiming 56 acres of land. However, the campaign faced resistance from the second day, Tuesday, when a police constable was injured by a brick thrown during protests, though the operation continued. According to conversations with police, BIWTA, and local residents, around 11:30 AM on Wednesday, the joint forces began the operation in Peshkarpara, where over a hundred permanent and semi-permanent structures have been built by filling the riverbed. As multiple excavators started the demolition, hundreds of men and women protested, surrounding the machinery and urging authorities to stop. Some lay on the ground to block the equipment. Protesters addressed the authorities and law enforcement, saying, “If Myanmar’s Rohingya can stay in hill camps for years, what crime have we, landless Bangladeshis, committed? Evicting us without rehabilitation is unjust.” Some displayed land deeds, claiming they legally purchased the river land, registered it, and paid regular taxes. They argued that evicting people from registered land requires dialogue and compensation. Around 2:30 PM, when the joint forces attempted to resume the operation near the new bridge and Kosturaghat areas, they faced further resistance and verbal confrontations with protesters. By 4:00 PM, the joint forces halted the operation and retreated without any untoward incidents. K.M. Arif Uddin, BIWTA’s Director (Port and Transport), stated at the site, “We are retreating due to resistance, but the eviction drive will not stop. All illegal structures built by encroaching and filling the river’s land, spanning 10 kilometers from Nuniyachhata to Khurushkul Bridge, will be removed as per the High Court’s directive.”

BIWTA noted that on February 6, 2010, a government notification declared 721 acres of the Bankhali riverbank as a river port, with instructions to hand it over to BIWTA. However, the land remained occupied for various reasons. BIWTA’s Cox’s Bazar office Assistant Director, Md. Khairuzzaman, said the eviction drive, aimed at restoring the river’s natural flow, began on September 1 and is scheduled to continue until September 5, 2025.