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Vehicular movement on Dhaka-Chattogram highway remained suspended for five hours since Tuesday noon as several hundred residents of Jangal Salimpur in Sitakunda upazila in Chattogram blocked the highway protesting an eviction drive by the local administration.
The residents gathered at Bangla Bazar in Fouzdarhat area of the highway around 12:30 pm, halting vehicular movement on the busy highway.
The local administration snapped the electricity and water connections at Jangal Salimpur to evict the illegal occupants.
Sitakunda Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shahadat Hossain, said “The residents of Jangal Salimpur blocked the highway to press home their several demands including the eviction drive.
Meanwhile, the protesters hurled brick chips towards police when they lobbed tear gas shells and charged baton to disperse them.
Read: Tea workers return to strike for Tk 300 wage; block Dhaka-Sylhet highway
A chase and counter-chase took place during the melee.
The vehicular movement on the highway returned to normal around 5:30 pm.
A 10-kilometer tailback was created on the highway due to the blockade.
Earlier in the day, police foiled their bid to block Bayezid-Fouzdathat road in the morning.
Deputy commissioner Mohammad Maminur Rahman, said the government has recently taken an initiative to rehabilitate 15,000 residents in the area and construct a number of government structures.
The government also took a plan to relocate the Chattogram Central Jail to Salimpur khas land, construct sports village, cricket stadium, iconic mosque, eco parks and other establishments in the area.
To make the plan a success, the local administration has been conducting an eviction drive for the last one month.