The Westin, a luxurious hotel in the capital, has been possessing a large portion of the Gulshan Avenue illegally, contributing to the traffic congestion as well as hindering pedestrians’ movement.
Authorities of the hotel, which is located just around 100 metres away from Gulshan circle-2, have also set up a temporary stand on the front road to check vehicles carrying their guests.
Rehana Parvin said traffic congestion was a common phenomenon in Gulshan area especially at afternoon and morning when classes of most of schools and colleges start and end. The tailback will intensify as the Hotel has possessed a portion of road.
Tarique Hasan said not only the Hotel Westin but many others organisations have grabbed roads at different points of the city under the nose of authority concerned, law enforcers should take stern actions against them.
Taimur, security and safety officer of the hotel, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had marked the road by rope cordon to ensure security for guests as the blockade sponsored by the BNP-led 18-party alliance was ongoing.
In reply to a question on whether they have taken permission from the authority concern to use the road space for their own purpose, he said Dhaka Metropolitan Police had given them permission to use the road.
However, Ruhul Amin, deputy commissioner for traffic (Dhaka north), told the Dhaka Tribune that they were not the relevant authority, and could not give permission to anybody to use public spaces.
“I am not aware of the issue, but if they do we will take action against them,” he added.
Usually, Dhaka City Corporation works as the legal authority to lease anybody, or any organisation, public space for their own purpose – including car parking.
An official of the estate department of Dhaka city corporation (north), who preferred to be unnamed, said the Westin had not gotten any approval from the department to use the footpath.
In addition, DCC does not have the authority to lease any road to anybody because roads are only for public communications, he added.
