In Gazipur’s Tongi, more than half a hundred illegal structures, including mosques and raw markets built illegally at the site of road and township department, have been evicted.
After almost twenty years, the Roads and Public Ways Department has cleared the illegal constructions on 73 percent of the Dhaka-bound highway in Cheragali area of Tongir on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.
Anwar Hossain Khan, Deputy Executive Engineer of Tongi Road Sub-Division, said that a mosque under construction, 50 shops and some illegal structures were evacuated in this operation from morning to afternoon on Thursday (May 2).
He said, the place on the Dhaka-facing part of Dhaka-Mymensingh highway was vacant for about twenty years. There was no sidewalk on the side of the highway. This operation was conducted to clear the road and highways department to reduce the public suffering. The occupiers were constructing a multi-storied mosque to occupy the site permanently. The matter came to the attention of the Roads and Town Department. So the evacuation operation was carried out.
No one was seen claiming ownership of the land during the eviction drive.
Executive Magistrate of Sauz Md. Abdul Latif Khan said, the land in this part of Sauz was vacant for a long time. The squatters were building a paved mosque on the land. Souz has given notice to them to leave the land. All the structures have been demolished by conducting raids. Asked whether the land was mistakenly registered in Sauz’s name, he said, “I will not say anything about it.”
During the operation, the officers of Roads and Highways Department, Fire Service and Electricity Department officials were also present.
Aminul Islam/AH/GKS
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