Encroachers Seize 13 BWDB Ponds in Jhenaidah, Costing Revenue Millions

Thirteen government ponds covering 15.28 acres in Jhenaidah have remained under illegal occupation for years. The ponds are owned by the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB). Poor management and lack of supervision have led to the misuse of government assets worth crores of taka, while the government is also losing potential annual revenue.

Recovering the water bodies and leasing them commercially could increase government revenue and create employment opportunities for local people. BWDB surveyor Abdul Baten said the ponds, located across Jhenaidah Sadar, Shailkupa and Harinakundu upazilas, could generate at least Tk 152,500 in direct annual revenue based on government rates.

At present, four ponds covering 5.43 acres in Harinakundu could generate Tk 54,000, five ponds covering 6.60 acres in Shailkupa could generate Tk 66,000, and four ponds covering 3.25 acres in Jhenaidah Sadar could generate Tk 32,500 annually. The revenue could increase significantly if the ponds were leased through a competitive bidding process. Due to the illegal occupation, however, local people are unable to benefit from these public resources.

Local residents, including Imran Hossain and Rahim Mondal of the Garaganj area in Shailkupa, said the ponds have been left unused for years, allowing occupiers to treat them as their own property. They said that if the ponds were quickly surveyed, recovered and leased, they could create jobs for local fish farmers, fishermen, transport workers and labourers, contributing to the rural economy.

Jhenaidah BWDB Executive Engineer Ranjan Kumar Das said legal steps are underway to identify and gradually recover the government water bodies. He said the authorities would recover the properties from illegal occupants and lease them according to regulations. The move is expected to protect government assets, increase revenue and create employment opportunities at the local level.