DSCC evicts illegal market after 25 years

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) evicted an illegal market in Luxmibazar of old Dhaka on Thursday which was constructed 25 years ago on a land that was leased to build a car parking.

A mobile court led by DSCC Executive Magistrate AH Irfan Uddin Ahmed evicted the market with the help of six platoons of RAB and police.

A man named Billu had been allotted the 10.08-decimal land from the then Dhaka City Corporation to build a car parking. But the city corporation authorities cancelled the lease in 1995 as the lease payment was not paid in due time.

Billu filed a case in the civil court against the cancellation of the lease and was able to get a permanent ban from the court against evicting him as long as the car parking area was there.

Later, he set up an illegal market in that place. During this long period, he did not pay any money to the city corporation.

Approximately 40 clothing shops and kitchen market were demolished during the eviction drive. The evicted goods were later sold to the public through spot auction for Tk21,000. The auctioneer has been instructed to remove the evicted goods by Friday.

Four people were fined Tk12,000 in four cases for various offences at the eviction spot.

Executive Magistrate AH Irfan Uddin Ahmed said, "Billu had been illegally occupying the corporation's property for 25 years. He built the illegal market there in the name of a car parking. We have knocked down that illegal market today."

Rasel Sabrin, chief property officer of DSCC said, "The estimated value of the recovered land is around Tk50 crores."