Tension is prevailing at Kalyanpur slum as the Housing and Building Research Institute officials started eviction drive there.
Witnesses said a team led by Housing and Building Research Institute officials and police started the eviction drive in the area around 11:30am Thursday.
Agitating slum dwellers were seen protesting in the area with sticks to bar the drive. Thousands took position on the streets after their slums were demolished.
Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu
Later, with the help of police, Executive Magistrate Nur Alam started the drive again around 12 noon.
The slum dwellers pelted brick chips at police when they tried to evict the 4 no slum around 1:45pm, forcing the law enforcers to retaliate.
Asked whether they launch the drive without any prior notice, the magistrate said: "We have followed all legal procedures."
Housing and Building Research Institute Architect Jamir Uddin said: "We have issued notice several times but the slum dwellers did not pay any attention to vacate the slum. So we started the drive.
"We have evicted illegal structures on 8 acres among the 50 acres land."
Meanwhile, the High Court stayed the eviction of Kalyanpur slum for three months and also ordered the authorities not to harass or arrest the slum dwellers without any specific reason.
Asked about the stay order, Architect Jamir Uddin said: "We are yet to get the High Court order. We will follow the order as soon as we get it."
According to the slum dwellers, about 20,000 to 22,000 people live in nine slums at Kalyanpur.