Railway authorities yesterday evicted illegal shops and establishments from the capital’s Malibagh to Khilgaon flyover as part of a new drive to remove illegal structures set up along rail tracks in the capital.
The fresh eviction started at the area although eviction of all illegal establishments along the rail tracks at the capital’s Karwan Bazar area are yet to be completed.
Rail authorities started the drive Friday morning after four people were killed when a train rammed into an illegal fish market set up on railway lines in Karwan Bazar on Thursday. Five others were seriously injured in the accident.
Following the incident, rail authorities told the media that an eviction drive along the rail tracks would continue from Karwan Bazar to Tejgaon area. However, after evicting many makeshift shops in Karwan Bazar on Friday, they took a new drive at Malibagh from yesterday instead of continuing their drive to evict some 300 illegal shanties along the line in Tejgaon.
On Friday, authorities removed some makeshift shops along Karwan Bazar’s rail track. In the four -hour drive, almost all illegal shops from the Film Development Corporation (FDC) gate to Tejgaon Railway Station were knocked down.
“The fresh eviction drive started around 9:00am and continued till 1:30pm,” said Abdul Majid, officer-in-charge of Dhaka Railway Police Station told the Dhaka Tribune.
He said around 2000 makeshift small shops and establishments have been removed in the drive.
“We will also keep an eye in future so that new shops can not be installed there following the drive,” he added.
Asked about the unfinished drive along the Karwan Bazar-Tejgaon area, Bangladesh Railway Divisional Estate Officer Nurun Nabi Kabir said the illegal slum at Karwan Bazar will be evicted in future after giving some time to slum dwellers to relocate themselves.
‘Situation will not change that much’
Slum dwellers along with the train line at Karwan Bazar think that the ongoing drive will not change the situation there for long except bringing hazards to their daily life.
“It is nothing new for us. They [rail authority] come here now as some people went under wheels of a train. After a few days, everything will be back to normal. Perhaps the ‘shanty-owners’ will increase the rent in future. That’s all,” said Khodeja Bagum, a 45-year-old slum dweller at Karwan Bazar.
Visiting the area in the afternoon, it was found that no railway police or rail official were present at the scene. Locals said after every such incident, police come and evict the illegal market on the rail track and demolish some shanties. After some days everything is rebuilt at its old place.
Several hundred of shanties were found untouched from FDC rail crossing and the Tejgaon rail station during the visit. The dwellers are busy with their cooking and everyday chores on the track while many people were seen walking on the track.
Asked if the railway officials have asked them to move elsewhere leaving the railway land, locals said they will not move anywhere as they do not afford living anywhere except this slums.
Talking with the Dhaka Tribune, Minara Begum, whose house was knocked down on Friday’s drive said she would build a new house at that place within three or four days.
“I will just have to pay some money to some people,” she said. When asked, she refused to disclose names of those who she would pay to get the ‘permission’ to rebuild her shanty.
