Police officer injured in clash during Bakkhali River eviction in Cox’s Bazar

A police officer was injured when protesters hurled bricks and stones at law enforcement during an eviction operation targeting illegal encroachments along the Bakkhali River in Cox’s Bazar. Four individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident.

The confrontation took place around 11 a.m. in the Kastoraghat area of Cox’s Bazar city, on the second day of the eviction drive. Constable Md. Karim, stationed at Cox’s Bazar Police Lines, sustained a head injury and is currently receiving medical treatment.

The joint operation, conducted by the district administration and the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), faced resistance from local residents. Protesters, rallying under the banner “All levels of people of Badrmokam Ukilpara society,” opposed the eviction, claiming their purchased lands were being forcibly seized under the guise of river reclamation.

According to eyewitnesses, the protesters clashed with administration officials, the army, police, and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). When the crowd resorted to throwing bricks and stones, law enforcement responded by dispersing the protesters.

Additional Superintendent of Police Mohammad Jasim Uddin Chowdhury confirmed the injury and arrests, noting that the situation was quickly brought under control, allowing the eviction drive to resume by midday. Structures on land occupied by local businessman Atikullah Prakash CIP Atik are currently being removed.

The eviction follows a High Court directive issued on August 24, ordering the government to prepare a list of all encroachers along the Bakkhali River and to remove illegal structures within four months to protect the river and control pollution.

On August 30, Brigadier General (Retired) M. Sakhawat Hossain, adviser to the Ministry of Shipping and Labor, visited Cox’s Bazar and instructed authorities to implement the court’s orders.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Nizam Uddin Ahmed stated that the eviction drive aims to clear the river of all illegal encroachments, after which the river’s boundaries will be formally defined.

BIWTA officials noted that the government declared 721 acres of land along the Bakkhali River as a river port in 2010 and directed the district administration to transfer control of the land to BIWTA. However, at least 300 acres remain illegally occupied.

Assistant Director of BIWTA Cox’s Bazar, Md. Khairuzzaman, reported that since the eviction began on September 1, over 200 illegal structures have been removed from more than 5 acres. The operation is expected to continue until September 5, targeting the removal of approximately 2,000 illegal structures.