Eviction drive will continue until footpaths are freed from occupation: DNCC administrator

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan has announced that the eviction drive will continue until the capital's footpaths are freed from occupation. He said this operation will be carried out in various areas as needed to ensure city residents can move around freely.

He made these remarks while speaking to journalists after visiting Sifat, a journalist of Somoy TV who was injured in the clash centring the eviction drive in the Mirpur-10 area of Shewrapara, on Thursday, October 1.

The DNCC administrator said the eviction drive is being carried out as part of a regular programme to create opportunities for citizens to use footpaths comfortably. Before Wednesday's operation in the Mirpur-10 area, three rounds of operations had been carried out last week. The fourth round of the operation led to an unexpected situation.

He said the problem of footpath occupation is not recent. Over the years, footpaths in various areas have gradually been occupied. As a result, ordinary people's ability to walk normally is being obstructed. There is no alternative to continuing the operation to change this situation.

Shafiqul Islam Khan said DNCC's operation will continue until the footpath eviction work is successful. This operation will not be stopped even after Wednesday's incident. Rather, the drive will be further strengthened as needed.

Regarding journalists being injured in the eviction drive, the DNCC administrator said the safety of media workers should be given importance during operations. He expressed sympathy for injured journalist Sifat, noting that Sifat returned to the scene and performed his duties even after being hit on the head.

Regarding the Home Minister's statement that the clash was caused by a lack of coordination with police, Shafiqul Islam Khan said a letter is sent to the concerned police authorities through the magistrate before every eviction drive. Police members are also present during the operation. However, he believes the situation would have been easier to control if more police members had been deployed than needed.

The DNCC administrator also said necessary administrative and law enforcement assistance will be taken in future operations considering the situation. He said operations will be carried out as needed in areas of the city where public suffering is being created.

Regarding the demand to hold eviction drives after discussions with elected MPs, he said the city corporation has the authority to take immediate measures considering the situation if public suffering arises in areas under its jurisdiction. Operations are not carried out considering any specific electoral constituency.

Noting that operations may be carried out as needed in various areas of DNCC, including Mohammadpur, Uttara, Tejgaon and Mirpur, he said attention will also be given this time to ensuring that footpaths are not occupied again after eviction. Regular monitoring and, if necessary, fresh operations will be carried out to keep cleared footpaths free from occupation in the long term.

Stating that there is no pressure on him of any kind, Shafiqul Islam Khan said it is DNCC's responsibility to ensure necessary civic services and mobility opportunities for city residents. He will not bow to any pressure in performing this duty. At the same time, he sought the media's cooperation in keeping footpaths free from occupation.