Demolition is not enough

Land grabbing and encroachment of riverine bodies is one of the most serious and intractable problems facing the country today. It is the most despicable of crimes since it involves the taking of land that is the public's for private benefit, and is dependent on those in authority turning a blind eye and abusing the trust the public has placed in them. No crime is more symptomatic of the problems that ail Bangladesh today -- that of private individuals getting rich at the expense of the public good.

This kind of offence is invariably committed by those who are close to power. This kind of abuse of power occurs because those who perpetrate it think that they are immune to punishment due to their connections, and in too many cases this has been proven to be true.

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The only way to stop this brazen and arrogant flouting of the law is to go after the lawbreakers without consideration for their connections or political affiliation. It is not enough to demolish the structures that they have built up. The only way that other violators and their collaborators will be deterred is if the relevant authorities treat them like the criminals that they are.

Typically what happens in cases such as these is that once the dust has settled and attention has shifted, that violators quietly resume their illegal activities. No one is ever brought to justice. The relevant authorities should be freed to aggressively pursue the violators and the public prosecutor needs to be brought in to ensure that punishment is swift and severe.