Mayor Annisul leaves Tejgaon after three hours of ‘confinement’ due to worker-police clash

Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Annisul Huq, escorted by a number of RAB and police personnel, left Tejgaon area after an apparent confinement of three hours amidst clashes between police and workers. The workers had been protesting an eviction drive.

Before leaving the industrial hub on Sunday, the mayor addressed around 1,000 protesters, holding out the assurance of building a ‘better’ truck stand.

He urged them to take away their dilapidated trucks from the streets and remove illegal establishments from the area.

“You have voted me your mayor. I am your son. Please assist us. We’ll build a better terminal for you,” Huq told the truck workers.

This was Huq’s first eviction drive since taking charge as mayor in May.

He was forced to stay at the Bangladesh Truck and Covered Van Drivers Union office in Tejgaon for three hours from 1:30pm due to the protests and clashes.

The Dhaka North mayor had been warning against the old, damaged trucks parked at the illegal terminal and the establishments in it for a long time.

The illegal terminal goes from Tejgaon Satrasta all the way to Karwan Bazar level-crossing.

On Nov 8, Huq sent a mobile court to conduct a drive to evict some illegal establishments in the area and set Nov 27 as the deadline to remove the remaining trucks and establishments.

He went to the Satrasta area with Railways Minister Mazibul Huq at about 1pm on Sunday after the deadline ended on Friday.

City corporation workers started to bulldoze the illegal establishments in the area. RAB and police personnel were deployed.

bdnews24.com Staff Correspondent Ashik Hossain, who was on the scene, said agitated truck workers and local people started hurling brickbats at the law enforcers around 1:30pm.

Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells to disperse the protesters.

Mayor Huq and Minister Hoque entered the truck drivers union office when the clash erupted.

The mayor stayed even after the minister left the place.

TV stations were running news at the time that the mayor was ‘confined’ due to the protests.

Huq, annoyed at the protests, told reporters he was not afraid of slogans chanted by ‘some’ people.

“I am working so that the citizens can travel undisturbed. I won’t run away with my people just because some people are agitated,” he said.

The protests sharpened when the workers blocked the street on hearing that one of their fellows had been killed. It turned out later that one person had been injured.

When asked what was happening, Huq said, “Some people are hurling brickbats… it’s uncalled for.”

The mayor said the truck owners and the councillors of the area were with him.

Many had removed their trucks following DNCC orders; the drive was against those who had not yet complied, he explained.

“The law will take its course. What do they think of themselves?

“The drive will continue,” the mayor said.

He stayed in the office of the workers union after speaking to the reporters.

Amidst the protests, an announcement through the loudspeaker of an adjacent mosque was heard, saying that “the mayor has agreed to the workers’ demand”.

In the announcement, it was also said the mayor would pay the expense of the injured worker’s treatment.

The city corporation will not push the owners to remove the trucks from the illegal stand until an alternative terminal has been set up, according to the announcement.

The protests diminished after the announcement.

Mayor Huq then left the office and started addressing the workers using a loudhailer.

He said he was committed to ensuring the unhindered commuting of the citizens.

The workers protested loudly once again during Huq’s speech. He repeatedly said, “You’ll have to listen to me.”

“Today’s problem was a small one. We’ll make a terminal to avoid parking on the street. Four ministers were with me on this initiative,” he said.

“The street is being obstructed. I have been speaking about this for two months. The owners asked me to clear the inner part of the terminal. So, dilapidated trucks and other vehicles were being removed,” he said.

“Then...we have decided that the vehicles still inside the area will remain here. We’ll give you a better truck stand,” he added.

The mayor, escorted by RAB and police personnel, left the place and headed towards Farmgate at about 4:45pm.

Police later removed the protesting workers and freed the street.