Freeing up Footpaths, Roads: City corporations dismantle 550 structures
The two Dhaka city corporations yesterday knocked down over 550 illegal structures in Mohakhali, Amtali, Gushan-2 and Jhigatala areas to keep footpaths free for pedestrians and ensure smooth vehicular movement.
Executive magistrates of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) dismantled around 450 such structures constructed on footpaths and roads while Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) evicted over 100.
DNCC mobile courts also fined shop owners Tk 3 lakh for the illegal encroachment.
A mobile court led by Executive Magistrate (zone-3) Meer Nahid Ahsan conducted a drive in Mohakhali and Amtali areas and took down around 250 structures.
Another mobile court led by Executive Magistrate Sajed Anowar evicted over 200 illegal structures from Gulshan-2 DNCC market and markets on road 118 and 113.
The team recovered around 30,000 square feet area during the drive, said an official of DNCC.
The mobile court also fined South Bridge Developers and Amin Jewellers of Gulshan-2 DCC market Tk 1 lakh each and two departmental stores Tk 50,000 each.
Meanwhile in DSCC, two mobile courts led by executive magistrates Md Moniruzzaman and Irfan Uddin Ahmed dismantled over 100 illegal structures at Jhigatala.
The teams evicted makeshift shops, restaurants and small structures from the road stretching from Dhanmondi to Tannery Mor via Jhigatala bus stop and adjoining Saat Masjid Road, said an official of DSCC.
Both the city corporations will continue their drives, according to officials. They started the drives after DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon and DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam took the initiative to free roads and footpaths from illegal encroachment.
DNCC has identified over hundred footpaths that are illegally occupied.
Monitoring cells -- consisting of six members including councillors and officers-in-charge of the respective police stations -- have been formed at different wards to carry out drives to reclaim those.
Though multiple drives had been carried out to reclaim footpaths from illegal occupation, those initiatives lost momentum after a few days and occupants returned to streets and footpaths again. With that in mind, a special committee led by Sayeed Khokon has also been formed recently to remove illegal vehicles from streets and free footpaths from grabbers, to ease traffic congestion in the capital.
Comments