Play store
Residents of Haji Majar slum in Tongi, Gazipur, staged a protest and partially blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway on Thursday morning, opposing the demolition of their homes without arrangements for rehabilitation.
The protesters began gathering around 8:30am in the Tongi Bazar area before bringing out a procession. The march passed through Station Road and moved onto the BRT flyover, where they took position on part of the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, disrupting traffic.
Chanting slogans demanding food, clothing, housing and rehabilitation, the protesters said hundreds of families had been left in uncertainty following the eviction.
“We are not opposed to the eviction. But the authorities must first arrange alternative accommodation and rehabilitation for us. If we are asked to leave after that, we will have no objection,” protesters said.
Most residents of the slum are low-income workers, including day labourers, rickshaw and van pullers, garment workers and employees of various industrial establishments. Many said they had lived there for years and were now unsure where they would go after their homes were demolished.
Some protesters alleged that the eviction was carried out in the interests of Abul Khair Group and claimed that certain influential parties had taken money from the company to remove the settlement without providing rehabilitation. They, however, could not immediately provide evidence to support the allegations, and no comment was available from the parties concerned.
Local residents have long alleged that Haji Majar slum has been a centre for drug dealing and other criminal activities. Drug seizures have reportedly been made during law enforcement raids in the area at different times.
According to sources, the Gazipur Metropolitan Police and Rajuk carried out the eviction as part of efforts to control the law-and-order situation after the settlement was identified as a major drug-trading spot.
The slum residents, however, said anyone involved in drug dealing or other crimes should be prosecuted individually rather than holding innocent residents responsible for the actions of criminals.
They also called for rehabilitation measures for affected families alongside legal action against those involved in criminal activities.
The partial blockade on the BRT flyover disrupted traffic on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, causing significant inconvenience to commuters.
Police went to the spot and tried to persuade the protesters to leave the highway.
Arif Hossain, officer-in-charge of Tongi East Police Station, said, “We are trying to convince the slum residents to leave the road.”
The protesters said they did not want confrontation or disorder and wanted to resolve the issue through dialogue with the administration. They called for a list of families affected by the eviction to be prepared first, followed by arrangements for their rehabilitation.
They said they would not resist further eviction if it was carried out in accordance with the law after proper rehabilitation arrangements had been made.
“We are not protesting against the government. We only want assurance of a place to live. We have no objection to eviction if we are rehabilitated first,” they said.
The protesters said they would continue their peaceful movement until rehabilitation arrangements were made, warning that many women, children and elderly people could otherwise be left without shelter.