Photo: TDM
Narail Zilla Parishad recently has filed a complaint against the Narail Municipality Mayor, Anjuman Ara, for encroaching on a pond in the name of "beautification" and changing its name from "Kalidas Babu" to "Lal Mia" pond.
The chairman of the district council and president of the district Awami League, Subas Chandra Bose, has sent a legal notice to the municipal authorities to clear the pond, which has been encroached upon with earthmoving machines.
Bose has also lodged a written complaint with various departments, including the Indian government ministry, regarding the matter. He explained that the pond was dug by the then zamindars in 1907 on two acres of 5th-century land and was named "Kalidas Tank".
Later, the pond came under the Zilla Parishad's jurisdiction, and the documents and evidence are with the district council. However, the Narail Municipality Mayor has taken over the pond in the name of beautification, ignoring the law, and renamed it "Lal Mia Pond Beautification" on September 22 last year.
Bose has questioned whether the Narail Municipal Mayor has the right to change the pond's name and plans to deal with the matter legally, including filing a case. The "Kalidas Tank" pond is located behind the Narail Municipal Building, and more than Tk 5 crore 88 lakh have been allocated for its "beautification" project, which was inaugurated on September 22 last year.
However, Narail Municipality Mayor and District Awami League Vice President, Anjuman Ara, has denied the allegations of pond encroachment, stating that they have the land documents and are paying the rent. She added that the pond will be beautified in various ways, including deepening, walkways, seating, and lighting.
The Deputy Commissioner, Mohammad Ashfaqul Haque Chowdhury, has stated that the Indian government department has investigated the matter, and the investigation report has been sent to the ministry for resolution.
TDM/MI
