Clash over BCC eviction drive
Case filed against 1,400 occupiers
Staff Reporter, Barisal
A case was filed against 1,400 illegal land occupiers on Thursday night for allegedly attacking law enforcers and Barisal City Corporation (BCC) employees during an eviction drive of in BASIC road of the city.
Illegal land occupiers in Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) road area of the city yesterday attacked the BCC workers during a drive to evict 118 illegal establishments from either side of the road.
Sixteen people, including seven policemen, were injured in a clash that broke out. The police opened 113 rounds of blank fire to control the situation. Police arrested five from the spot. Sub inspector of Kawnia police station of the city Asraful Islam filed the case against 26 named and 1400 unidentified people with the police station on Thursday midnight.
SI Zahid Hasan of the same police station has been appointed as investigation officer of the case said OC of the thana Md Selim Reza. After hearing the news male persons of the area fled from their houses avoiding the arrest.
Police raided the area whole night and arrested three people. Local people alleged that taking the opportunity of the case police are harassing them from Thursday evening. Md Salim Reza, OC of Kawnia police station, said they have evidence who had attacked the law enforcers. They will not arrest any innocent persons in this connection.
Locals said they had been doing business in the open at the roadside since long. The BCC authorities started the eviction drive at about 3pm without any warning, they alleged.
Ignoring all protests, the authorities demolished over 100 establishments, and in the process damaged properties. At one stage, local people put up obstacles and clashed with BCC workers. Both sides threw bricks at each other.
The police swung into action and arrested five people.
