Narayangonj, Aug 12 (UNB) – The Department of Environment (DoE) has fined Rupayan Group, a real estate company, Tk 40 lakh for threatening the ecosystem of Shitalakkha River by illegal encroachment.

The DoE fined the group after a hearing at its headquarters in the capital in presence of the company’s top officials - Major (retd) Amirul Islam, the director (administration) and Engineer Khairul Alam, the general manager.

During a hearing the management of Rupayan said that they have already erected 210 pillars at Dhamgarh and Kuripara in Bandar upazila on the eastern bank of Shitalakkha to build a container port and the total cost of the project is Tk 300 crore.

Rupayan Port & Logistics Services Ltd is implementing the project on 27 acres of land, they added.

But, DoE in an investigation found that the group has already encroached 7088 square feet area into the river in the name of implementing the project.

After the hearing, DoE Director (monitoring and enforcement) Mohammad Munir Chowdhury slapped the Tk 40,00,000 fine on the company for harming the environment and carrying out unauthorized business violating environment law.

The DoE Director also ordered to suspend all types of infrastructural development works immediately threatening on-compliance will lead to filing of criminal case against the chairman and MD of the company.

The DoE Director said the project might create obstacle for the natural flow of the river. Preliminary study for calculating the impact on ecosystem is important for such project, he added.