Summit Alliance Port Limited (SAPL), owned by Muhammad Aziz Khan, brother of Colonel (Retd) Muhammad Faruk Khan, a member of the Awami League’s presidium and formerly in-charge of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, has been accused of illegally seizing 12 acres of land belonging to Shah Amanat International Airport to establish a private container depot.
Despite several notices from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), the company continued its occupation of the government land, valued at Tk 600 crore, for 15 years without any punitive action due to political influence.
SAPL first took control of the land in 2007 in Patenga’s Nazirpara (Chari Halda), Chattogram, using its political connections to suppress attempts at eviction.
Although CAAB issued several notices, SAPL refused to comply. In one instance, a magistrate was dispatched to reclaim the land but was forced to return without executing the order due to political interference.
The depot was extended beyond its original structure, further encroaching on the airport’s land. The matter gained renewed attention following the downfall of the Awami League government on 5 August, during the public uprising that led to the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Airport authorities have now renewed efforts to recover the land. Sources within the airport confirmed that despite resistance in the past, the current administration is committed to reclaiming the illegal depot. A notice was first issued by CAAB’s Executive Magistrate Ahmed Jamil on 18 July 2019, giving SAPL seven days to remove the structures.
Captain Kamrul Islam Mazumdar, SAPL's director of operations, acknowledged receiving the notice but argued that the land in question was legally purchased, and a case regarding the CAAB notice was still pending in the High Court.
However, records from Shah Amanat International Airport tell a different story.
In 1992, 27.815 acres of land in South Patenga were acquired under the airport expansion project to resettle individuals affected by the construction of terminal buildings and other infrastructure.
When those individuals refused relocation, additional land was acquired near Bijoynagar for their rehabilitation. SAPL later took control of 12 acres of the original land, meant for the airport’s new residential colony, capitalising on the lack of oversight.
Group Captain Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun, the newly appointed director of Shah Amanat International Airport, stated, "I have been informed about the encroached land and necessary measures will be taken to recover the property."
Despite the blatant illegality, SAPL’s deep political connections protected the company from accountability, a fact that has now come under greater scrutiny since the recent political changes in Bangladesh.
