‘Illegal, undemocratic, whimsical’

Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad yesterday showed their grave concern over the alleged verbal direction of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) to vacate the houses of the Telugu community at Dhalpur of Jatrabari.

The direction was given to the leaders of the Telugu community at the Nagar Bhaban on Thursday, said leaders of the parishad.

While visiting the Outfall Telegu Colony in Jatrabari's Dhalapur yesterday, they said any steps without rehabilitation are illegal, undemocratic, and whimsical.

They hoped that as a barrister himself, the DSCC mayor would refrain from taking any such unlawful decision, says a press release of the Oikya Parishad.

Kajol Debnath, presidium member of Oikya Parishad, and General Secretary Rana Dasgupta visited the colony.

Around 1,200 residents of the colony are from the Telugu community, and many residents have stopped cooking their daily meals after receiving the mayor's direction, they said.

On February 8, Jatrabari Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mofizul Alamon called upon the leaders of the community and allegedly threatened them not to organise any protest and inform anyone about the direction, said the parishad leaders.

The community members yesterday held a human chain and a protest rally yesterday in front of Jatiya Press Club, demanding their rehabilitation before any such move.

They said the British government had brought the community's ancestors there from the Telangana state in India to work as cleaners. They arranged their living space by constructing the colony.

However, after the Liberation War in 1971, the authorities identified these cleaners as garbage-management workers, who were eventually replaced by Bangalee cleaners.

"No initiative was taken from the government or any autonomous body to rehabilitate us in other professions. A section of our community has been living in Dhalpur ever since. Now our homes are being taken away from us as well," they said during the protest.

Contacted, OC Mofizul said DSCC will evict the space on February 12, and that is why they asked the community leaders not to create any untoward situation.

Meanwhile, on February 9, while handing over the house keys to garbage-management workers at Dhalpur, the DSCC mayor said he will not tolerate any encroachment of DSCC land while he is the mayor.

Taposh mentioned that unscrupulous people have been charging authentic garbage-management workers to stay in the colony.

"Our land is being occupied in many ways. Landgrabbers and different vested groups are occupying the land and benefitting from this illegal act. I will not tolerate this as long as I'm here. Our garbage-management workers, our employees will stay there, and it is our duty to look after it," he said.