Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh has said that drives will be conducted against illegal chemical warehouses in old part of Dhaka after upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.
He came up with the disclosure at a view-exchange meeting titled ‘Effect of Traffic Congestion over businesses of old Dhaka and Identify the Way Forward’, organised by Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) at its Auditorium in Motijheel on Tuesday.
The mayor said, "We can't put old Dhaka at risk anymore. An incident of fire took place few days ago and the fire incident is happening regularly. The warehouses and factories required for the transfer of chemical products have been relocated from the Ministry of Industries to the Industrial Zone in Shyampur.”
“I ask those who are doing chemical business in Old Dhaka will have to apply to the Ministry of Industries as per the law for relocation of their warehouses. If not, we will conduct a combing operation after Eid,” he said.
He also warned that the buildings where the trading activities of chemical products are conducted should be sealed off, if necessary.
“We have stopped issuing and renewing trade licences of those organisations after 2017. Still you are doing business there with trade licences from different places. We will launch a combing campaign and close them all after Eid.”
“The upper part of those buildings is used as residence and the lower part as warehouse. It is very dangerous. So, if necessary, I will seal off those buildings and cut off electricity and water lines,” he added.
DTC executive director Nilima Akthar, Dhaka Metropolitan Police additional police commissioner (traffic) Md Munibur Rahman, transport expert Dr SM Saleh Uddin, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited director Md Abdul Baki Mia, among others, addressed the meeting moderated by DCCI president Ashraf Ahmed.