Shops in parking space demolished

Rajuk demolition team yesterday evicts Limo showroom at the basement of a building on Rokeya Sarani, Senpara Parbata in Mirpur to recover parking space. Photo: SK Enamul Haq

Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha yesterday demolished a number of shops in six buildings in the city's Mirpur area for commercial use of their designated car parking spaces.
Rajuk started the drive at 11:30am with seven buildings--two at Mirpur-1 intersection and five on Rokeya Sarani--on their list for yesterday.
A Rajuk team led by Executive Magistrate Rokon-Ud-Dowla evicted readymade garment shops in the basement of Mukti Plaza near Mirpur-1 intersection.
The basement of Muktijoddha Haq Plaza was being used to serve commercial purposes though it was designed for car parking, said an official, Aminur Rahman.
"We had to step back from eviction as the owner of the building produced a High Court stay order," Aminur told The Daily Star.
The team then moved to knock down a Limo showroom in the basement of a building on Rokeya Sarani in Senpara Parbata of Mirpur.
Probal Community Centre, T&I Tower, Ming Tower and FIR Tower also came under the drive as they were using car parking space on the ground floor to run shops.
Meanwhile, the magistrate on duty detained Rafiqul Islam of Sheorapara on charge of creating obstacles to the drive.
The magistrate told The Daily Star that they would release the detainee upon receipt of an undertaking by the police.
Dhaka Metroploitan Police recently identified 198 buildings in the city that use designated car parking space commercially, forcing visitors to park their vehicles on roads.
Rajuk launched the drive on October 11 following the DMP list to reclaim car parking spaces in the buildings.