One of the two city corporation magistrates, who headed the eviction drive on Wednesday, said they took steps as the constructors of the structure had not taken permission.
After the drive, the hawkers of the market started to demonstrate and closed shops around 1:30pm.
Abul Kashem, the general secretary of the Association of Traders at Chittagong Municipality Zahur Hawkers’ Market, told bdnews24.com that they planned to set up statues of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, late Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury and recently passed away ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury at the main gate of their market.
“But a city corporation team came here in the afternoon and demolished the statues, labelling it as illegal. No leader of the association was here because it was the prayer time. We, the traders, are very much upset at this move,” he added.
Special Magistrate Jahanara Ferdous and Executive Magistrate Afia Akter headed the drive.
Jahanara told bdnews24.com that they saw the market authorities erected the structure by encroaching a canal without permission.
“We saw only a wall there,” she said and added that they told the hawkers’ leaders to ask for the mayor’s permission to raise the structure before constructing it.’