Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader said on Thursday said that it would be most unfair and shameful if Harijans are evicted for the construction of a multi-storey building.
“Evicting the Harijans will be the biggest robbery. It must be stopped at any cost,” he said while visiting Harijnapalli in the capital.
GM Quader, also the Opposition Leader in Parliament, said the Harijan community has been providing the biggest healthcare since the British period.
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“About 5,000-7,000 people are living here and they are living a subhuman life. They are working as cleaners of the (Dhaka south) city corporation which can’t be done by many others even in exchange of lakhs of takas,” he observed.
The Jatiya Party chief bemoaned that Harijans are the most oppressed and helpless community. “The state and the government are supposed to be by their side. But we’re observing with sorrow that this government is a partisan government which is working for securing the interests of those belong to the ruling party.”
He alleged that the government is ensuring the advancement of individuals and the ruling party in the name of development.
“The development of the country is meant for the welfare of the common people of the country. If these people are pushed to the streets, where will they go? The government is least bothered about this,” GM Quader said.
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He said the marginalized Harijans are being threatened. “How can it be the development while 5,000-6,000 people will be thrown on the street?”
The Opposition Leader said Bangladesh has now become the country of Awami League.
He said the current government does not consider common people as human beings. “They (govt) are running the country at their convenience. The people no longer own the country as they can’t change the government.”
GM Quader said their party talked about the issue of Harijans in Parliament on Wednesday. “We do not know whether the government will keep our word.”
He said the government should consider the plights of Harijans on the humanitarian grounds as they are a very helpless community.
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“We’ll try to prevent it in any way. It is the Awami League government, not the government of the people. This government is formed by Awami League, working to look after the interests of Awami League. They do not care about the demands of the people,” the Jatiya Party Chairman said.
He said it is unfair to construct the building in the name of development only for the benefits of some individuals.
GM Quader said it is the responsibility of the government to rehabilitate the Harijans and provide them with accommodation.
Harijan community people who came here from Telugu in India during the British era have been residing in the city's Bongshal area for several hundred years.
Besides, 500 families are living in Mironjilla Sweeper colony. The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) said 66 among them will be rehabilitated as they are staff of the City Corporation.
A plan was taken to build a multi-storey building and a kitchen market after evicting the rest of the community.