Top officials of the shipping ministry yesterday staged an inquisitive day-long drama of demolishing two jetties of Shah Cement factory, built encroaching on river Shitalakkhya but the eviction team suspended its drive in the evening without doing anything.
The eviction team appeared at the jetty site at Muktarpur in Munshiganj around 10:00am along with police personnel, around 100 labourers and two high-powered ships -- Dhrubatara and Augrajatra.
Half a dozen high officials of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) were also present at that time while Munshiganj district administration deployed an executive magistrate to conduct the operation.
But soon, shipping Secretary Md Abdul Mannan Howlader instructed the eviction team to “go slow”, as minister Shajahan Khan was in a negotiation at that time with the company owners.
The eviction team that was moved at public expense had to wait idle in the middle of the river until evening only to get the pull-back order from the secretary.
However, BIWTA Chairman Shamsuddoha Khondkar was stuck to the decision for eviction and asked the team to remain prepared.
Shah Cement Industries Ltd, a concern of Abul Khair Group, has built the large-size jetties almost in the middle of the river for landing and shipment of their products, said Khondkar, adding that landing stations must be set up within the river foreshores.
He said they arranged the eviction drive in line with a 2009 High Court verdict that ordered to free rivers from encroachments.
"We will not retract until our goal of freeing the river is achieved," said the BIWTA chairman.
However, as the chairman insisted, the eviction team finally stayed back with the ship in the river somewhere away from the jetty site.
The secretary said, "The drive was suspended following a negotiation between the minister and the company representatives."
Differing with the BIWTA chairman, he said it was an unresolved issue of Landing and Shipment Charge (LSC) for using the river foreshores and that was why the eviction drive was arranged.
The company assured that they would pay it soon, he said.
Khondkar said, "The owner earlier held several meetings with the minister in this regard and made commitments; but did not keep the pledges."
According to competent sources, the company had dues worth Tk 11 crores as LSC since 2004.
As served with a notice five years back, the company filed a writ petition with the High Court that stayed effect of the notice and asked the company to pay Tk 10 lakh every year.
Despite several attempts, no official of Shah Cement at Dhaka sales office and Chittagong head office could be contacted for comments. The employees who received the calls said the officials were not available at office.