Nasrul Hamid Bipu’s illegal bungalow demolished

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has demolished an illegal bungalow of former State Minister Nasrul Hamid Bipu on the banks of the Buriganga River in Keraniganj’s Kautail area.

The eviction drive, carried out on Wednesday, targeted a sprawling two-acre compound where the main house, boundary wall, three two-storey buildings, several shops, and multiple trees were razed to the ground. The structures were built on BIWTA-owned land, obstructing the natural flow of the river for years.

BIWTA Joint Director Mostafizur Rahman said: "The bungalow was constructed illegally on institutional land. No influential person will be spared in our mission to reclaim the river."

He emphasized that the action was taken in compliance with a 2009 High Court order issued in a public interest writ petition, which directed the removal of all encroachments on riverbanks.

Security forces, including personnel from South Keraniganj Police, RAB-10, and the Keraniganj Fire Service, supported the operation to ensure law and order.

This move comes amid ongoing legal proceedings against Nasrul Hamid. On January 16, 2025, a Dhaka court banned him and his wife, Seema Hamid, from traveling abroad in an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) case. The ACC alleges that during his tenure as State Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources, he abused his authority to help his wife acquire assets worth Tk 69.8 million beyond her known income.