After occupying Anwar Park in Farmgate, the authority of Kutubbagh Darbar Sharif have extended their occupation to portion of Manik Mia Avenue to set up cattle sheds, hampering the movement of pedestrians as well as traffic.
Visiting the area yesterday the Dhaka Tribune Correspondent found that the Urs authority has also dug a walkway from Farmgate to the TNT playground to set up bamboo sheds, in which they have started keeping cattle.
The Urs is scheduled to be held from February 11 to 13, but the Urs authority had started making preparations one and half months ago.
Residents of Indara Road, Rajabazar Green Road and Jahanara Garden said they had to suffer a lot every year because of the gathering, as the authority of Kutubbagh Darbar Sharif grabs a portion of the road to arrange the event.
Shamim Ahmed, a student of Tejgaon College, said, “Commuters and vehicles cannot move smoothly on the walkway and road, because of the illegal establishments of the ‘Darbar Sharif’.”
Mursed Alam, a resident of Indira road, said people could not go to Anwar Park because the park is also under the occupation of the Urs authority.
Masudur Rahman, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s media centre, said he was not aware of the occupation, adding, “The DMP did not give, to my knowledge, any permission for the cattle sheds on the road.”
“I will look into matter and take action against the road occupation soon,” he said. An employee of Darbar Sharif, who preferred to remain unnamed, said: “We have made tin-sheds to store foods, including rice, pulses, and sacrificial animals for the Urs.”
While building a pavilion in the park, the Urs authority claimed they had arranged the function after taking permission from the DMP, Public Works Department and senior members of the government.
The Dhaka Tribune contacted Md Kabir Ahmed Bhuiyan, chief engineer of the PWD, two weeks ago.
He said: “We have given permission for only two days, as per the recommendation of senior politicians.”
“We do not know about the long-term programme of Kutubbagh Darbar,” Kabir said. “Of course, the month-long programme will damage the beauty of the park. If the Kutubbagh Darbar does not remove the illegal structures, we will file a case against them,” he said.
However, the correspondent visited the park yesterday, and found that the PWD is yet to take any action against the park’s occupation.
