Will there be a large-scale eviction in Kamrangirchar?

We are concerned about the fate of 20 lakh residents of the Kamrangirchar area in Dhaka who fear eviction from their homes. This is because Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has decided to build a commercial hub on 1,200 acres of land there. Residents say turning this area into a commercial hub would be illegal as it is not part of the Detailed Area Plan (DAP). What is most outrageous is the arbitrariness of this decision without prior discussion with the people living there, many for generations.

According to a report by this daily, the DSCC is planning to build a business district to attract foreign businesses to invest in the billion-dollar project. According to the draft plan, the project plans a total transformation of the place by including a 50-storey high-rise convention centre, amphitheatres, luxury condominiums, high-end office buildings, restaurants, and much more. This would have been welcome news if it had been done with the acceptance of the local population who would be severely affected by the project. There should have been proper discussions as well as guarantees of their inclusion in the planned development. But if many of the residents have to be displaced, how would they be compensated for the loss of their homes?

Poet Nirmalendu Goon, who has been living in the area for the last 15 years and is president of Kamrangirchar Nagorik Parishad, has rightly said that the DSCC cannot plan a mega project without consulting with the 20 lakh residents first. He also questioned whether the DSCC has the authority to implement it at all. A physician quoted in our report said his ancestors have lived in the same homestead for 400 years. There are, moreover, thousands of small and medium industries employing several lakh people. Would all these businesses be compensated and those affected people given jobs? There are many questions and few answers at the moment.

We urge the authorities to make sure that these questions are answered satisfactorily and the plan is discussed thoroughly with the local residents of Kamrangirchar. If it goes against their interests, it should be shelved. No one should be coerced into leaving their homes or places of work.