United News of Bangladesh

Fuel collection, marketing and transportation have been suspended in Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions since Wednesday morning due to a wildcat strike enforced by Bangladesh Petroleum, Dealers, Distributors, Agents and Petrol Pump Owners’ Association. Rajshahi and Rangpur divisional chapters of the association went on strike together in protest against an eviction drive by Roads and Highways Department (RHD) in Boguar’s Santahar on Tuesday. Two petrol pumps were demolished during the drive. In a statement, signed by Rajshahi chapter president Md Mizanur Rahman and general secretary Md Abdul Jalil, the decision to enforce the strike was made public on Tuesday shortly after the eviction drive. Commuters suffer as Bhola bus workers go on strike Though it was scheduled to enforce the strike from 8am on Wednesday, most of refilling stations in Natore remained closed since 6am, crippling vehicle movement. The statement reads the RHD conducted the eviction drive without any prior notice to the fuel pump authorities which was unprecedented. Urging the petrol pump owners to observe the strike, the association sensed conspiracy against the government in the drive, according to the statement.

The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has started an eviction drive to remove illegal structures in Natore district. A team of RHD, led by Executive Magistrate Farhad Ahmed and Executive Engineer Quamrul Hasan, started the eviction drive on Wednesday from the main roads of Natore district town. Earlier, Roads and Highways Division issued a notice against 166 illegal occupants in Natore district as per the court order. Bangladesh Railway launches eviction drive in Malibagh to reclaim its encroached land All illegal establishments built across the roads, footpaths and lands will be demolished during the drive on both sides of the road, said Engineer Quamrul Islam.  

Slum dwellers on Monday staged demonstrations blocking Dhaka-Mymensingh highway against an eviction drive at Mohakhali without ensuring their rehabilitation. Hundreds of slum dwellers blocked the highway in Amtoli area around 12pm as the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) authorities started an eviction drive in  ‘Sattola’ slum of Mohakhali. Read: BCL blockade halts classes, exams at CU However, the drive was stopped in the face of the protests. The slum dwellers, most of whom are the victims of river erosion, demanded rehabilitation first as they have no place to go. Read:Rangpur farmers block highway demanding urea Gulshan Division Deputy Commissioner (DC) Abdul Ahad said police have been deployed to clear the highway for traffic movement.

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.

Authorities have started a drive to evict families living illegally on the high-risk hills to save them from possible landslides casualties during upcoming monsoon.   The drive was launched on Monday by the district administration and department of environment of Chattogram.   Read: Heavy rain forecast triggers fear of landslide in Chattogram   It started at 11 am from the Bayezid section of the city's Faujdarhat-Bayezid Link Road.   Six magistrates conducted the operation in three groups.   Assistant Commissioner (Land) Mamnoon Ahmed Anik told the media that all illegal structures on both sides of Bayezid Link Road were being demolished.    “A simultaneous eviction drive led by six magistrates is underway in Kattli, Hathazari and Sitakunda sections of Link Road,” he added.   Rain triggers landslide fear in Chattogram; Over 50 families evacuated   A large number of police, RAB and fire service members were deployed in the operation.   According to the Chattogram district administration, around 835 families are living illegally in 17 high-risk hills of the port city.   Besides, 18 new hills were cut during the construction of CDA's Bayezid-Faujdarhat link road. The first day of the eviction drive saw the removal of the illegal establishments which crept up on these hills.   Environmentalists say the number of people living at risk in the various hills of Chittagong is around one lakh. From 2007 to 2020, more than two hundred people lost their lives in landslides in Chottagram.   The highest landslide fatalities occurred in 2007 when 127 people died on June 11.   Besides, 30 people were killed in a 2017 landslide.

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) authorities finally demolished over 250 illegal shops out of 911 ones at Fulbaria Super Market-2 on Tuesday as it launched the eviction drive braving the obstacles by the shop owners.

The BIWTA evicted 265 establishments on the bank of Buriganga River in Dhaka's Islambagh, including an illegal petrol pump of MP Haji Salim, in drives conducted on Sunday and Monday.

Local administration on Sunday recovered 14 bighas of land that was occupied by the Awami League leader and Dhaka-7 lawmaker Haji Salim in Sonargaon of Narayanganj.

Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) conducted an eviction drive at Ulon Road in the city’s Rampura area on Tuesday. A UNB photojournalist took pictures of the drive. Let’s see the drive in pictures.

BIWTA officials and eviction committee members evicted thirty illegal establishments including a three-storied building from the bank of river Turag on Tuesday.