An eviction drive is currently underway at the Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital.
All illegal structures within the park are being demolished using bulldozers. The operation began at 11:30am on Thursday.
The drive is being conducted under the supervision of an executive magistrate from the Capital Development Authority (Rajuk), with support from the Shahbagh Police Station under Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
Confirming the matter, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Shahbagh police station Khalid Mansur, said that all unauthorized establishments within Suhrawardy Udyan are being removed.
He further noted that there had been allegations that these illegal structures were being used for drug dealing and consumption.
Consequently, Rajuk brought in an executive magistrate to lead the operation, which remains ongoing.
Notably, on Tuesday night, around midnight, a Dhaka University student, Shahriar Alam Shammo, 25, was fatally stabbed following an altercation after his motorcycle accidentally collided with another motorcycle inside Suhrawardy Udyan.
He was immediately taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead around 12:30am.
In response to the incident, Dhaka University students staged an impromptu protest march later that night, demanding justice for the murder and a safer campus environment.
A meeting was held between the Dhaka University administration and the relevant authorities of Suhrawardy Udyan on Wednesday night.
At the meeting, seven important decisions were taken, including banning public entry to Suhrawardy Udyan after 8 pm. Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan gave this information in a post on his Facebook page on Wednesday.
The decisions are:
- The gate of the garden adjacent to TSC will be closed permanently.
- A joint operation will be conducted by the Ministry of Public Works, City Corporation, DMP (Dhaka Metropolitan Police) and the Department of Narcotics Control to evict illegal shops, stop drug trade and ensure cleanliness in Suhrawardy Udyan.
- The Ministry of Public Works will form a committee with the relevant stakeholders for regular surveillance and operations.
- Adequate lighting and closed circuit cameras (CCTV) will be installed in the garden and their regular monitoring will be done.
- A dedicated police box will be set up in Suhrawardy Udyan.
- The park will be managed in a manner similar to Ramna Park.
- A ban on public entry to the park will be enforced after 8 pm.
