Published: 12:02 AM, 14 May 2026
DNCC warns of action against canal grabbers
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Md Safiqul Islam Khan on Wednesday asked the canal grabbers in Mirpur to remove their structure within a specific time, warning that legal action will be taken against them for failure to comply.
"It cannot be accepted that the whole of Mirpur's residents will suffer for a few people. We cannot continue spending public money to clean canals every day only to see them return to the previous condition the next day," he said while visiting the canal-cleaning activities at the Sangbadik Colony canal in Kalshi in the capital, reports UNB.
If those who have illegally occupied canal land and built structures there fail to remove them within the stipulated time, drives will be conducted to dismantle the establishments legally with the support of local residents, the DNCC administrator said. The canal will be cleaned over the one week on an emergency basis to provide temporary relief from waterlogging for local residents, he said.
At the same time, discussions will be held with house owners' associations and local residents to find a permanent solution to the problem, Safiqul said.
He claimed that long-standing mismanagement of the canal has been causing severe waterlogging in the area. "Although we cleaned the canal several times in the past, it returned to its earlier condition within a short period. That is why we have taken initiatives for a permanent solution," he said.
The DNCC administrator stressed that there is no alternative to recovering canals and keeping the drainage system functional to free residents from waterlogging.
Mentioning that there is no scope for rehabilitating illegal occupiers, he said any individual constructing structures illegally on government land will have to bear responsibility.
However, requests for additional time to remove structures could be considered through discussions on humanitarian grounds, Safiqul said.
Expressing frustration over indiscriminate waste dumping, he said drains and canals are not places for garbage disposal and urged residents to act responsibly. "Without public awareness, cleaning alone cannot provide a permanent solution."
