The authorities of Sikder Resort and Villas keep building a structure near the Kuakata beach defying a removal notice issued by the local land office almost a year ago.

According to the Kalapara upazila land office, the structure is being built on 800 square feet of government's khas land in front of Kuakata National Park near the sandy beach.

Locals and construction workers said the structure will be a coffee house for Sikder Group's resort in Kalapara upazila and the work started last year.

Noticing the construction work, the Mahipur union land office prepared and submitted a report to the assistant commissioner (land) of Kalapara on June 30, 2019.

The AC (land) then served a notice to the authorities of Sikder Resort on July 8, 2019 to remove the illegal structure within seven days. The Daily Star has obtained a copy of that notice.

The Kalapara Upazila Land Office also sent a letter on the same day to the Patuakhali Deputy Commissioner's Office, requesting necessary legal action to remove the illegal establishment.

The resort's account manager Md Shaheen told the Daily Star that he received the notice on July 17, 2019.

But the structure has not been removed yet, as seen by this correspondent during a recent visit to that area.

Contacted on June 8, Faisal Ahmed Chowdhury, general manager of Sikder Resort, said, "I am new here. I can't get into details about everything at this moment. However, our representative will contact you."

Later in the day, a man, introducing himself as Shahjahan Akon, told this correspondent over the phone that they have all the legal documents relating to the land and construction of the structure.

Though he promised to show the documents to this correspondent, he never contacted again or responded to repeated phone calls.

When Patuakhali Deputy Commissioner Matiul Islam Chowdhury was asked last week why no action was taken against the illegal work in the last one year, he sidestepped the question.

The DC, instead, said due to the shutdown driven by the Covid-19 pandemic, they were unable to take any action.

The countrywide shutdown began on March 26.

On Saturday, Kalapara Upazila Assistant Commissioner of land Jagatbandhu Mondal told The Daily Star, "After getting instruction from the DC, we have served the final notice to Sikder Resort on June 10 [this year] to remove the illegal structure within 30 days of receiving the notice.

"If they do not comply, we will take legal action."