Blaze follows stalled drive

A fire yesterday burned down at least 21 shanties at the Kalyanpur slum where just a day ago an eviction drive was suspended because of a High Court injunction.

Known as Kalyanpur Pora Bosti, the slum is on the land of Housing and Building Research Institute (HBRI) under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.

To free the government property, the authorities on Thursday embarked on the drive, which stopped in the midway as the court ordered the authorities concerned to suspend the eviction for three months.   

A number of slum dwellers alleged that it was the ruling party men, who would benefited from different projects on the land if it is freed, set the shanties on fire to complete their eviction. 

Men of the local lawmaker even attempted to stop a fire brigade vehicle from reaching the spot, they alleged. 

About several hundred shanties were demolished in Thursday's drive, forcing over a thousand people to spend the cold night in the open. Now the fire, which began at 9:30am, left 21 shanties and nine shops fully damaged.

Many were seen collecting scrap objects to sell and have some money in this difficult time.

“I came to the slum with my parents around 15 years back from Bhola after our land and house were gone in river erosion. I have lost everything again, this time in fire,” said Jyotsna.

Her eight-year-old son Sagor suffered cuts when she was dragging him out of their tin house at the time of the blaze.

A fire service official said some people stopped their vehicle in Kalyanpur area and tried to misguide them saying no fire incident had taken place.

However, two fire engines managed to douse the blaze at 11:00am.

Mujibor, whose tea stall was gutted, said he and some others saw four youths moving suspiciously behind the shanty of one Bhangari Babul around 8:30am.

“Just after some time, we saw fire at Babul's house and the youths leaving quickly,” he said.

Mohammad Nurul Haque, another slum dweller, said the local lawmaker's men might have been behind the blaze, as “they failed to evict the dwellers due to the High Court injunction.

According to the lawmaker, Aslamul Haque, about 1,500    families and 2,900 voters live in  the slum. Talking to The Daily    Star, he said he has no link to the drive.

“Before this, I had stopped two other drives. This time I neither support the eviction nor oppose it,” he said.