The New Nation - Internet Edition

Chittagong Correspondent

The Committee for Management of Hills asked the authorities concerned to remove the habitats from the hill-pockets by next three weeks.

The directives came from a meeting of the committee held at local circuit house late Monday night. Chittagong Water and Sewerage Authority (CWASA), Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), Bangladesh Railway (BR), police and other public agencies have been advised to comply the directives of evacuation.

Public agencies like the CDA, CWASA, BR and police are the owners of most of the hills across the city. The agencies have been asked to take necessary steps in evacuating habitats from risky hill-pockets, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) and member secretary of the Committee Jafar Alam told the reporters after the meeting.

Meanwhile, the meeting reformed the Technical Committee (TC) that formed to make outline for protecting hills from destruction.

Former Vice Chancellor of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) Dr. Mozammel Haque has been made head of the reformed TC, while Chief Engineer of the CDA Iqbal Hossain will perform duty as member secretary of the committee.

Meeting sources said that the reformed TC would provide necessary directives with recommendations to the mentioned organizations within next ten days.

Chittagong Divisional Commissioner Hossain Jamil presided over the nearly three-hour meeting that began at about 7:00 p.m.

Deputy Commissioner Ashraf Shamim, secretary to the Chittagong City Corporation Mohammad Shamsuddoha and other government officials joined the meeting, which ended at about 9:45 p.m.