Authorities demolish illegal structures, including ‘prayer site’, at Suhrawardy Udyan

Officials say encroachers ignored repeated requests to vacate the occupied areas

Authorities have demolished illegal structures, including a makeshift prayer site, inside Dhaka's Suhrawardy Udyan.

The Public Works Department, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), Dhaka University and Dhaka Metropolitan Police carried out the joint eviction drive on Sunday.

DSCC Public Relations Officer Md Russell Rahman said, "The prayer site was not treated differently. Every illegal structure inside Suhrawardy Udyan has been removed."

The makeshift prayer area had been set up under tarpaulin sheets, with water drums placed nearby for ablution.

A handwritten sign marked it as a "prayer site", while signatures were being collected to build a mosque.

A group of people offered prayers there on Friday.

The site had drawn crowds in recent days. People in the park said it had been set up by a man named Rajib Shah.

The Ministry of Housing and Public Works later decided to remove all illegal structures, including the place of worship, and issued an eviction notice on Thursday.

The notice said outsiders had occupied parts of the park by setting up illegal shops and the prayer area despite the presence of a modern mosque inside the park.

It also alleged that those occupying the site had threatened officials and behaved aggressively despite repeated requests to leave.

Ahead of Sunday's drive, authorities formed an 11-member security committee led by the Dhaka University proctor.