The much hyped eviction drive by the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha’s (Rajuk) against illegal businesses in Gulshan and other areas of the capital, which was supposed to start yesterday, was postponed as the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) failed to provide necessary police support. The DMP couldn’t give Rajuk’s team the required force to conduct the drive on Sunday. An official from the DMP headquarters said they have received Rajuk’s letter over the eviction drive and they would try to give forces to Rajuk teams from today (Monday).
Ashraful Islam, authorized officer of zone 2 of Rajuk told The Independent that they couldn’t start the drive because they didn’t have the force. “We had talks with the DMP. They will give us the force soon,” he added.
Rajuk's Authorised Officer of Zone 5 Abu Zafar Mohammad Shafiul Alam also said the DMP might give the necessary force for the eviction drive from Monday. When asked if Rajuk is planning to postpone the drive due to pressure from influential businessmen who have businesses in the city’s posh residential neighborhoods, the Rajuk official denied any such pressure and said, “We are not being pressurized by any quarter to cancel the drive. The moment we get the DMP’s units, we will start the drive.”
Rajuk has identified some 2,400 business establishments in the city’s Gulshan, Banani and Baridhara areas to be operating businesses illegally. The capital development authority took a decision to carry out an eviction drive against such unauthorized business establishments in residential quarter of the capital to increase security in the wake of the deadly militant attack on Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan on July 1 that killed 20 hostages. Rajuk says that the targeted restaurant was also operating in Gulshan illegally.