Bangla Press Desk: The government has identified 21,982 river encroachers across the country and is preparing to launch eviction drives against them, Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam said.
Responding to a question from National Citizen Party (NCP) MP Hasnat Abdullah in parliament on Wednesday, Rabiul cited the updated list prepared by the National River Conservation Commission.
He said all deputy commissioners had been instructed to publish the list on their official websites and submit action plans for eviction, adding that field-level operations would begin shortly.
The disclosure highlights renewed government efforts to reclaim encroached waterways amid longstanding concerns over illegal occupation of rivers and floodplains.
In a separate response to Treasury Bench MP Mosharraf Hossain, the minister said the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) currently operates 47 ferries.
Of these, 12 are Ro-Ro ferries, 16 are medium, eight are improved medium, and 11 are utility ferries.
He said six additional utility ferries are under construction under two new shipyard projects, while 35 commercial vessels and eight auxiliary vessels are being procured for BIWTC.
All are expected to be commissioned by June.
The government also plans to build 15 medium ferries, five utility ferries and two RoPax vessels for coastal routes to replace ageing fleets, he said.
On Payra Port, Rabiul said the facility is expected to become fully operational in January once core activities are completed this year.
