The demands will be put forth during a meeting of the Buriganga Protection Taskforce scheduled for October 29.

A demand for determining land ownership along the riverbanks according to the 1912 CS land survey will also be put forth in the meeting, which will be held in the context of the six-day demolition drive that ended on Saturday.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) removed 575 illegal holdings under Keraniganj, Shyampur, Sutrpaur, Kotowali, and Lalbagh police stations along the Buriganga during the anti-encroachment drive. These were among the 810 fresh illegal structures that cropped up along the river this year.

"Construction of a protection wall following any such drive is the only way to prevent reclaimed lands from falling back into the hands of encroachers," said Prof. Abdullah Abu Sayeed, a leading environment activist.

"The BIWTA should be empowered with full magisterial authority to carry out anti-encroachment drives as and when necessary," he added.

He also stressed the need to determine the actual course of the river and extent of its banks according to the 1912 CS land survey, and said the issue will be raised in the taskforce meeting.

"Anti-encroachment drives usually fail to achieve their desired goals due to lack of coordination between government agencies concerned," said Prof. Muzaffer Ahmed, convenor of Buriganga Bachao Andolon (Save the Buriganga Movement).

"This time, we demand at least a barbed wire fence to protect the riverbanks," he said.

He regretted that the last meeting of the taskforce was held around six months ago, allowing enough time for encroachers to put their illegal structures back up.

The BIWTA filed 20 cases against encroachers during the latest demolition drive, said BIWTA Chairman Abul Hossain Chowdhury. He, however, expressed his reservations about the proposed wall and walkways.

"We do not have enough money to build walls or walkways," he said, "But there are plans to build different kinds of barriers and dirt roads, and plant trees along the banks."

On magisterial authority, he said the BIWTA does not have any magistrates yet although there is a provision for that.

Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA) General Secretary Abu Naser Khan said his organisation will demand for a canal to be dug linking the river to the Jamuna to enhance the flow of Buriganga-waters.

Naser Khan pointed out that an embankment and walkway of Water Development Board (WDB) have also encroached upon a 40-50 feet wide area along the Buriganga.

The Buriganga Protection Taskforce has already recommended construction of walkways, planting of trees and measures for pollution control as well as increased water flow after the demolition drive.