The statement came after Dhaka Electricity Supply Authority (Desa) acquired part of Buriganga foreshore in Kamrangirchar to build a power substation, prompting protest from an environmentalist group.

BIWTA owns 17km of the foreshore from Fatullah to Kholamora. "The area beyond is not under control of BIWTA and we cannot settle the issue with Desa of land acquisition in Kamrangirchar," the BIWTA official said.

Kamrangirchar turned into a bustling suburb as the Buriganga changed its course, but old channel was flowing in from the Buriganga at the point it changed course -- the point Desa acquired after land filling.

BIWTA in a meeting on May 6 decided to take control of the old channel in Kamrangirchar and its foreshore. BIWTA held another meeting with Deputy Commissioner (DC) MA Momen on May 20, which decided that the DC's office would carry out a survey on the Buriganga to identify encroachers and the area would be handed over to BIWTA after the survey.

"BIWTA plans to build a harbour in that area for vessels to stay," said Syed Monwar Hossain, BIWTA director (port and transport).

"We will launch an eviction drive after the survey is complete by this month," the DC said.

Desa officials said they bought the land through the land ministry and with the permission of the DC's office.

"We have bought 1.63 acres at Tk 87 lakh as permitted by the DC's office. Desa received the gazette notification on it on January 31, 2002," said a Desa executive engineer in charge of the Tenth Power Project that includes the substation.

But the DC said he was not there during negotiations with Desa and asked the surveyors to include the area to verify whether the land allocated to Desa was part of encroached foreshore.

Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa), an environmentalist group, demonstrated against what it called encroachment of Buriganaga foreshore by Desa and submitted a memorandum to Desa Chairman

Bapa held a rally in front of the High Court on June 20, where Bapa leaders said the government enacted a law (water body act 2000) and constituted a taskforce to save the Buriganga, but now the government itself started to stifle the river by allowing earth filling for the proposed power station.

The Bapa leaders also submitted a memorandum to the chairman of Dhaka Electricity Supply Authority (DESA) AAMA Rob to press home their demand.

"We will bring the case to court, if the government fails to take action," said Bapa General Secretary Abu Naser Khan.

The Desa chairman said: "The land was bought to install the substation to supply electricity to Lalbagh, Islampur, Sadarghat, Kamrangirchar, Dhanmondi, Rayerbazar and Jigatala, as land is scarce in the city. We had to look for land on the outskirts of the city."

The substation will be installed as part of the Tenth Power Project co-funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB) that will contribute $40 million.

The project will increase distribution capacity of electricity in the city. The ADB will withdraw the fund if the project does not begin by January 2005 and becomes complete by June 2006.