Chemical storages in Old Dhaka

5 teams continue drive for third day

Despite repeated obstructions by chemical traders and warehouse owners, taskforce of the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) yesterday cut off utility services to 13 units in old Dhaka area. The task force comprising five teams has been working to evict chemical warehouses in old Dhaka since February 28. In the last three days, as many as 47 holding services were disrupted. The operation will continue till April 1.

The drive was temporarily suspended on Saturday after some businessmen protested against the move. However, it resumed yesterday with a large number of police personnel accompanying the civic officials of the taskforce. Five DSCC teams began their pre-scheduled drive in old Dhaka yesterday, but local businessmen and workers began protesting against the mobile court drive after one team severed the utility line of a house on Rajnarayan Road.

Sources said the taskforce team had found two illegal plastic factories and a chemical warehouse in a five-storey building during the drive at 2/3 holding number at Rajnarayan Road.

Infuriated over the drive, local businessmen and workers detained and locked the members of the task force-2 inside a factory at 12 noon. Those held captive included Dhaka metropolitan magistrate Subarna Shirin and DSCC chief waste management officer Air Commodore Zahid Hasan.

Hassan later told reporters that they were rescued by Lalbagh police two hours later. “Then we disconnected the electricity and gas connections of these factories,” he said.

Local businessmen and traders complained that the

taskforce was supposed to conduct drives against chemical warehouses, but it was also campaigning against plastic and polythene factories without any pre-declaration. The traders claimed that they did not get enough time to relocate their goods. This triggered panic among them, leading to anger, they claimed.

Another team led by Brig. Gen. Sharif Ahmed, chief health officer of DSCC, started the drive on Nanda Kumar Lane in Churihatta area.

It first disconnected utility lines of three buildings on Asgar Ali Lane and Nanda Kumar Lane for illegally storing plastic raw materials. Ahmed told reporters that they conducted the drive in six holding numbers for the third consecutive day. “We found toys and glass bangles in two holding and another owner had removed his chemicals. So we did not do anything to them,” he added. However, they cut off the utility services to another three holding numbers. “We found plastic factories in these buildings. So, we cut off the lines of the warehouses, but not of the whole building,” he said.

 

Chemical storages in Old Dhaka

5 teams continue drive for third day

Despite repeated obstructions by chemical traders and warehouse owners, taskforce of the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) yesterday cut off utility services to 13 units in old Dhaka area. The task force comprising five teams has been working to evict chemical warehouses in old Dhaka since February 28. In the last three days, as many as 47 holding services were disrupted. The operation will continue till April 1. The drive was temporarily suspended on Saturday after some businessmen protested against the move. However, it resumed yesterday with a large number of police personnel accompanying the civic officials of the taskforce. Five DSCC teams began their pre-scheduled drive in old Dhaka yesterday, but local businessmen and workers began protesting against the mobile court drive after one team severed the utility line of a house on Rajnarayan Road. Sources said the taskforce team had found two illegal plastic factories and a chemical warehouse in a five-storey building during the drive at 2/3 holding number at Rajnarayan Road. Infuriated over the drive, local businessmen and workers detained and locked the members of the task force-2 inside a factory at 12 noon. Those held captive included Dhaka metropolitan magistrate Subarna Shirin and DSCC chief waste management officer Air Commodore Zahid Hasan. Hassan later told reporters that they were rescued by Lalbagh police two hours later. Then we disconnected the electricity and gas connections of these factories, he said. Local businessmen and traders complained that the taskforce was supposed to conduct drives against chemical warehouses, but it was also campaigning against plastic and polythene factories without any pre-declaration. The traders claimed that they did not get enough time to relocate their goods. This triggered panic among them, leading to anger, they claimed. Another team led by Brig. Gen. Sharif Ahmed, chief health officer of DSCC, started the drive on Nanda Kumar Lane in Churihatta area. It first disconnected utility lines of three buildings on Asgar Ali Lane and Nanda Kumar Lane for illegally storing plastic raw materials. Ahmed told reporters that they conducted the drive in six holding numbers for the third consecutive day. We found toys and glass bangles in two holding and another owner had removed his chemicals. So we did not do anything to them, he added. However, they cut off the utility services to another three holding numbers. We found plastic factories in these buildings. So, we cut off the lines of the warehouses, but not of the whole building, he said.