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Demolition drives in city earn kudo


Published : 27 Jan 2021 09:59 PM | Updated : 28 Jan 2021 01:28 PM

Many Dhaka city residents have welcomed the recent demolition drive against illegal structures set up on the roadsides which, in most cases, obstruct smooth traffic and pedestrian movement.

The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) have been operating such eviction drive against influential land grabbers occupying roadside spaces in different areas of the capital. 

According to the city dwellers, if the roads are freed from illegal occupation and made suitable for traffic movement, it will be very convenient to movement around in the whole city. If all the roads are rehabilitated and made suitable for traffic movement, the image of road connectivity in the capital area will change.

However, faced with sufferings, commuters of the city have been demanding the eviction of land grabbers for a smooth travel.

A happy appearing Sufian Ahmed, a resident of Mirpur area, told Bangladesh Post, “Hundreds of people who resided in Bhasantek, Kachukhet, Mirpur 14, and Matikata areas suffered everyday while using the path to move towards MES, airport and Uttara or on their way back. It is over now and we are very happy.”

Ahmed described the end of the structures on the roadsides which were evicted on Wednesday. He said that the locals and people of other adjoining areas who used the Pocket Gate intersection of Bhasantek, experienced unprecedented suffering for the last two decades. The intersection is a connecting route between Bhasantek Bazar, MES-intersection and East Bhasantek.  

Citizens are relieved of the agony after the demolition of a two-story building, a tin-shed house and other illegal structures that were responsible for severe traffic jam located near the boundary-wall of Dhaka Cantonment. 

Hazera Begum, a commuter of the road since 2000, told Bangladesh Post that suffering of the people intensified with the expansion of the city and rising number of vehicles over the past 20 years. 

“My father once needed over two hours to reach his work place in Uttara which is only 10km away. Finally, he got relief now,” she added.

Another residence near Pocket Gate area said most of the time he had to walk back home from Bhasantek Bazar carrying heavy bags to avoid traffic. After the eviction, he can take a rickshaw and can come back home in five minutes without facing any congestion.

However, most of the time the Mayor Atiqul Islam visits the spots and said that the ongoing eviction drives will be continued and there will be zero tolerance against the grabbers by DNCC.

The mayor said that the roads were being grabbed for the decades but none dared to evict them.

The mayor thanked the local ruling party leaders and activists for supporting the eviction drive and promised again to free Dhaka from all types of illegal grabbing of public property.

Contacted, the DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam told Bangladesh Post that the people from all walks of life welcomed the eviction drive. No matter what kind of obstacles come, the eviction campaign will continue.

Earlier, ignoring several political pressure, the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) authorities also operated a large-scale eviction drive against illegally set up shops at city markets.

The estate department of DSCC had recently listed a total of 3,077 illegal shops at 18 markets owned by the city corporation following a report by the committee concerned, DSCC sources said.

Meanwhile, the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has removed more than 500 shops and illegal establishments in a three-day eviction drive in the capital's Pallabi last week.

In the meantime, the Local government, rural development and cooperatives Minister Md Tajul Islam on Sunday said that those who have illegally occupied the canals, including the original Buriganga channel and built various infrastructures in the capital by making fake documents, would be evicted soon.

He said this while talking to reporters after a meeting at the Local Government Division to formulate an integrated action plan for drainage of rainwater in the city and management of natural canals.

He said that all the places or lands would be identified step by step according to the measures of central settlement and revisional settlement, under all concerned including the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and Dhaka district administration.

He hoped that the Dhaka City Corporations would carry out the eviction drives in collaboration with all other concerned institutions or bodies of the government and the two mayors would be successful to this end in the days to come.