Eviction of buildings without approved designs begins in Inani after Tuptup fire
Photo: Collected
Following the devastating fire at Tuptup Resort in Inani, Ukhiya, the Cox’s Bazar Development Authority (CoxDA) and the upazila administration have launched a drive to remove illegal structures in the area.
The drive was conducted on a building south of Sea-Pal Hotel from Monday morning (26 October). It was led by Executive Magistrate (ADM) Tasnim Jahan. She was accompanied by Ukhiya Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Mohammad Abdullah, CoxDA Authorised Officer Fazle Rabbi, Secretary (Deputy Secretary) Sanjida Begum and other officials concerned.
Sources concerned said the building in Inani was being constructed entirely illegally. CoxDA had served a notice on the owners on 26 September asking ‘why the building should not be declared risky’. But they could not produce any documents. As a result, the eviction began on Monday morning.
CoxDA Authorised Officer Fazle Rabbi said all illegal structures will be evicted in phases.
According to Ukhiya Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Abu Abdullah, the building is owned by SS Enterprise. Its construction began about a year ago and work is still going on. Although it is said there are plans to use the building as a hotel or commercial establishment, this could not be confirmed.
CoxDA sources said neither the required design approval nor construction permission had been obtained from CoxDA before the building was put up. So steps have been taken to verify the building’s papers and inspect the construction work. A decision on removing the illegal portions will be taken after the inspection.
Background
On the morning of 17 October, a fire at Tuptup Resort in Inani killed 10 people, all of them tourists, The Daily Star Bangla reported that day, citing the Fire Service headquarters.
According to an 18 October report by The Daily Star Bangla, police filed a case against four people including the resort’s owner, and manager Mohammad Sumon was arrested; the Fire Service said the resort had no fire safety licence and the authorities had been formally warned four months earlier.
District angle
According to a 17 October report by Khobor Sangjog, Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md A Mannan said a five-member probe committee headed by the additional district magistrate had been formed to find the cause of the fire.
Sources
Original report: Bangladesh Pratidin
Background sources: The Daily Star Bangla, 17 October 2026; The Daily Star Bangla, 18 October 2026; Khobor Sangjog, 17 October 2026
