Under phase-1 that began yesterday, the CDA eviction team led by Magistrate Begum Tahera Ferdous demolished a CNG re-fuelling station at Agrabad Access Road and 50 more unauthorised structures including small shops, hotels and markets.

"The owner of Taj Re-fuelling Station violated the CDA acts when he built the structure few years ago," sources said, adding that he also failed to show valid documents regarding prior permission.

Prior to the drive, the CDA conducted a survey where they detected around 185 such structures from Kathgar under Patenga Police Station to Bahaddarhat intersection under Chandgaon PS, sources said.

Important roads within the area are Sheikh Mujib Road, Asian Highway, Agrabad Access Road extending from Port Connecting Road to Badamtali, and Dhaka Trunk Road extending from Kadamtali to Olonkar Intersection via Dewanhat Overbridge.

Md Jasim Uddin Chowdhury, CDA executive engineer, told this correspondent that the phase-1 might take a week to complete its drive since the areas under it are vast and the number of structures on both sides of the roads are larger in comparison to other places.

CDA Chairman Shah Md Akhtaruddin said the massive drives are aimed at bringing the city settings into order and making the plying of commuters comfortable and hassle-free.

The eviction team was assisted by the members of joint forces.