United News of Bangladesh

The Sunamganj-Sylhet regional highway remains trapped in an endless cycle of eviction and encroachment as unauthorised roadside establishments keep reappearing despite repeated demolition drives. This persistent issue is causing severe traffic congestion, frustrating commuters and highlighting weaknesses in enforcement. Every year, authorities conduct eviction drives to clear makeshift shops and markets lining the highway. But within days, traders and encroachers reclaim the land, setting up businesses as if nothing happened. The resulting congestion disrupts the flow of vehicles, turning short commutes into prolonged delays. On January 15, the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) dismantled around 300 illegal establishments between Wezkhali and Jauabazar. Durning a recent visit to Dirai Road Point, theUNB correspondent found encroachers had already returned, rebuilding their makeshift shops with bamboo and tin. Time to save rivers from pollution, encroachment: Adviser Sakhawat Zahur, a local hotel owner, was among those reconstructing his business on the same spot. "This is my livelihood. I have no choice but to start over," he said. Similarly, Modern Hans Bhat, a restaurant that was demolished during the drive, resumed operations within days with a new signboard. For many traders, eviction is just a temporary disruption. “Authorities conduct evictions every year, and we prepare for them. It’s just a routine event for us,” said a restaurant worker, reflecting the widespread perception that eviction drives lack long-term impact. Traffic Chaos and Public Frustration The unchecked encroachment has significantly slowed down traffic along the highway. Local residents report that journeys that should take 10 minutes now stretch to hours due to roadside businesses obstructing movement. The congestion also affects the transportation of goods, making life difficult for commuters and traders alike. Amir Hossain, a frustrated resident, criticised the ineffective approach. "It’s a never-ending cycle of eviction and reoccupation. Public funds are being wasted without any real change." Call for Sustainable Solutions Experts argue that weak enforcement, the absence of legal action, and inadequate post-eviction monitoring have rendered the eviction drives futile. Working Group formed to free Dhaka’s canals from encroachment, pollution: Rizwana Faisal Ahmad, a member of the Sunamganj Citizens' Committee, stressed the need for a strategic solution. “We’ve seen these eviction drives for years, but they never produce lasting results. Authorities must ensure proper monitoring and provide alternative locations for affected traders,” he said. Officials Acknowledge the Challenge Shahadat Hossain, Sub-Divisional Engineer of the RHD, admitted the difficulty of keeping encroachers off the highway. “We remove illegal structures, but they return. There’s a lack of awareness and respect for the law. Another eviction drive will be necessary soon.” When asked about the repeated spending of public funds on evictions, he suggested a more drastic approach. "Unless we establish a permanent office along the road or continuously issue warnings, encroachment will persist." With eviction drives failing to deliver lasting results, experts and locals are urging authorities to adopt a sustainable strategy. Without strict enforcement, legal consequences, and alternative solutions for traders, the Sunamganj-Sylhet highway will remain locked in its never-ending cycle of eviction and encroachment.

Over 200 illegal shops were evicted during a drive conducted by Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) in Dhaka’s Banani area on Monday. DNCC extends anti-mosquito drive till Aug 31 During the drive, shops were evicted from both sides of the roads under ward-19, and a total of Tk 2.25 lakh was collected in five cases for illegally occupying footpaths, according to a press release. Executive magistrates Md Zulkar Nayan and Rakhi Ahmed conducted the drive. Over 200 shops burnt down in Krishi Market fire: DNCC CEO The drive to remove illegal structures on roads and footpaths will continue to reduce people’s suffering and ensure discipline, said Zulkar. DNCC bringing pesticide from Singapore to destroy mosquito larvae: Atiqul

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) conducted a mobile court drive to evict a total of 188 illegal shops from its three-storied Roadside market or Tula Market in the capital’s Nilkhet area on Sunday. The drive was led by Md Muniruzzaman, Estate Officer and Executive Magistrate of DSCC. During the drive, only 35 shops on the first floor of the market were found to be legal. Thirty-eight shops on the first floor were extended illegally, while 75 shops on the second floor and another 75 shops on the third floor were being run without permission. “A vested group had built these shops illegally without taking any approval from us. All of these shops excluding the 35 legal ones on the first floor will be taken down. The drive will continue until it’s done,” said Muniruzzaman. Read: DSCC to launch special five-day anti-dengue drive Sunday in five wards The drive was supervised by DSCC’s Chief Estate Officer Rasel Sabrin and will resume on Monday.

Police detained 63 people, who were heading towards Dhaka to form a human chain protesting their eviction in Jangal Salimpur, from two buses at the upazila town early Sunday. Confirming the news, Abul Kalam Azad, officer-in-charge of Sitakunda police station, said they detained 63 people from buses of Shantia and Parharika Paribahan around 1.30am. The accused will be produced before court after scrutinizing all information so that no innocent is subjected to harassment, he said. On September 8, at least 10 people including police and Bangladesh Ansar members were injured during a clash with illegal occupants of Jangal Salimpur. The occupants of the hilly Jangal Salimpur got involved in clashes with the law enforcers over the eviction when cops moved to remove them from the busy Dhaka-Chattogram Highway after putting barricades on it. Later, eight cases were lodged accusing 500 to 600 people at the concerned police station in this connection. Earlier on August 30, the district administration warned the illegal occupants of Jangal Salimpur of an eviction drive to if they don’t relocate willingly.

To free footpaths for pedestrians, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) conducted an eviction drive from Gulistan Zero Point through Bangabandhu Avenue to Ahad Police Box today (September 11, 2022). The eviction drive started at 11 am and continued till 3 pm — led by Md Moniruzzaman, estate officer of DSCC. During the drive, nine people were fined Tk 70,000 for illegally occupying roads and footpaths. The fines were collected under subsections 7 and 8 of section 92 of Local Government (City Corporation) Act 2009, said DSCC. Read: Hawkers protest DSCC eviction drive in Gulistan DSCC official Md Moniruzzaman said DSCC Mayor has declared the area a “red zone” — off limits for hawkers, as traffic through Mayor Hanif flyover has increased since the opening of Padma Bridge. The eviction drive was conducted following the announcement, after campaigning for the last three days in the area, he said.   Earlier a five-member committee was formed Sunday to mark the roads, walkways under DSCC as red, yellow and green zones.

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) authority today (September 11, 2022) conducted a drive to evict hawkers from the city’s important roads. On September 7, DSCC Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh said that no hawkers will be allowed on important roads – marked “red” – under DSCC from this week. Read No hawkers on important South Dhaka roads from next week: Taposh

Chattogram district administration started a drive on Tuesday to evict people living illegally on the hilly slopes in Sitakunda upazila in the district. The drive led by Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Mominur Rahman was carried out in remote Alinagar area under Salimpur union of the upazila. A good number of establishments including dwelling houses and shops were bulldozed during the drive conducted by police, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and Ansar members. Mominur said that the eviction drive was conducted as part of a mega plan taken by the government. He said Alinagar area will be freed from the clutches of criminals within one month as they turned the area into their den. The DC also said that those who have been living illegally in the area by setting up establishments will be evicted soon. Read: Eviction begins on Chattogram hills to save lives during landslides He, however, said those who are actual landless will be enlisted for their rehabilitation and the drive will continue.   Superintendent of Police (SP) of the district SM Rashidul Hoque, Additional DC (Revenue) Mohammad Nazmul Ahsan, Additional DC (LA) Masud Kamal and Sitakunda Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Shahdat Hossain among others were present during the drive.

A total of 185 families have been evicted from different foothills in Chattogram city on Sunday during a drive against illegal and risky residents amid landslide concern. Five teams led by district executive magistrates with police Ansar and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members started the drive at 10:30 am from East Firozshah Jhil-1 area under Akbar Shah police station During the drive, 300 residential settlements were marked as risky.

Everything here is makeshift, a result of decades of uncertainty. Homes are made from tin and plastic sheets, water is trucked in and power is obtained from batteries or a few solar panels. The lives of thousands of Palestinians in a cluster of Bedouin communities in the southern West Bank have been on hold for more than four decades, ever since the land they cultivated and lived on was declared a military firing and training zone by Israel. Since that decision in early 1981, residents of the Masafer Yatta region have weathered demolitions, property seizures, restrictions, disruptions of food and water supplies as well as the lingering threat of expulsion. That threat grew significantly this week after Israel’s Supreme Court upheld a long-standing expulsion order against eight of the 12 Palestinian hamlets forming Masafer Yatta — potentially leaving at least 1,000 people homeless. On Friday, some residents said they are determined to stay on the land. The verdict came after a more than two-decade-long legal struggle by Palestinians to remain in their homes. Israel has argued that the residents only use the area for seasonal agriculture and that they had been offered a compromise that would have given them occasional access to the land. READ: Palestinians clash with Israeli police at major holy site The Palestinians say that if implemented, the ruling opens the way for the eviction of all the 12 communities that have a population of 4,000 people, mostly Bedouins who rely on animal herding and a traditional form of desert agriculture. The residents of Jinba, one of the hamlets, said Friday that they have opposed any compromise because they have lived in the area long before Israel occupied the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war. Issa Abu Eram was born in a cave in the rugged mountainous terrain 48 years ago and has endured a tough life because building is banned here. In the winter, he and his family members live in a cave. In the summer, they stay in caravans near the cave. His goats are a source of income, and on Friday, he had laid out dozens of balls of hardened goat milk yogurt on the roof of a shack to dry. He said his children grew up with the threat of expulsion hanging over them. They are attending a makeshift school in Jinba, with the oldest son now in 12th grade. “He did not live in any other place except Jinba. How are you going to convince him ... to live somewhere else?” he said. The Palestinian leadership on Friday condemned the Israeli Supreme Court ruling, which was handed down on Wednesday — when most of Israel was shut down for the country's Independence Day. Nabil Abu Rdeneh, a spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas, said the removal order “amounts to forced displacement and ethnic cleansing, in violation of international law and relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions.” Also on Friday, Israel's interior minister said Israel is set to advance plans for the construction of 4,000 settler homes in the occupied West Bank. If approved, it would be the biggest advancement of settlement plans since the Biden administration took office. The White House is opposed to settlement growth because it further erodes the possibility of an eventual two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The West Bank has been under Israeli military rule for nearly 55 years. Masafer Yatta is in the 60% of the territory where the Palestinian Authority is prohibited from operating. The Palestinians want the West Bank to form the main part of their future state. Jewish settlers have established outposts in the area that are not officially authorized by Israel but are protected by the military. Last fall, dozens of settlers attacked a village in the area, and a 4-year-old boy was hospitalized after being struck in the head with a stone. For now, the families say they have only one choice left: to stay and stick to their land. “I don’t have an alternative and they cannot remove me,” said farmer Khalid al-Jabarin, standing outside a goat shed. “The entire government of Israel can’t remove me. We will not leave ... we will not get out of here because we are the inhabitants of the land.” Referring to West Bank settlers who came from other countries, he said: "Why would they bring a replacement from South Africa to live in the high mountains, in our land, and replace us, and remove us, why? “

Eviction of illegal establishments surrounding Lautala canal at Basila of the city’s Mohammadpur began on Monday morning. Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Md. Atiqul Islam was present during the drive. He said that the canals must be freed to save the city from waterlogging. Lautala canal will be freed and connected to the Buriganga to create water flow in it. READ: DSCC starts eviction drive at Fulbaria market Every canal in the city will be freed of occupants accordingly, he said. The drive started with evicting the illegally occupied truck terminal in the area. READ: Eviction drive recovers 14 bighas occupied by Haji Selim in Sonargaon Along with the Mayor, other DNCC officials were present during the drive.