Over 100 illegal fruit shops evicted at Badamtali – National – observerbd.com

The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) on Sunday evicted more than 100 fruit shops built illegally at Badamtali in the city’s Sadarghat area.

The BIWTA launched the eviction drive responding to the appeals of local inhabitants to free the Badamtali fruit vendors who built shops there occupying the government land over the years. The eviction drive was carried out from 10:00am to 1:00pm.

Locals alleged that there were acute traffic congestion throughout the day at Badamtali area due to the illegal fruit shops. The fruit shops were built along the bank of Buriganga river which often led to traffic jams on the roads, lanes and by-lanes at Badamtali, causing immense sufferings to local dwellers.

They said that it could not be possible to free the government land from the illegal occupiers permanently in spite of launching eviction drives several times in the past.

The BIWTA officials said they would take necessary steps so that none could build illegal structures occupying the land on the river bank in future.

The eviction drive was led by Dhaka River Port official and joint secretary Gulzar Ahmed, while executive magistrate Mahbub Jamil supervised the mobile court. A large number of River Police, RAB and Ansar members were deployed to provide security during the three-hour long eviction drive.

Following the drive, Gulzar Ahmed said some three acres of government land were recovered from the possession of illegal fruit vendors.

He said similar eviction drives would also be launched at Telghat, Char Mirerbagh, Bosila and Washpur from Monday to free the river Buriganga from the occupiers who have built permanent and makeshift structures on both banks of the river.

SZA