Railway authorities have conducted a drive at Dhaka's Karwan Bazar, evicting illegal shanties and shops along rail tracks, a day after a train accident killed four people there.
Published : 12 Sep 2014, 11:44 AM
Dhaka Metropolitan Police took part in the drive that started at 10am on Friday along with rail police and railway's security force. The drive ended around 2pm.
Railway's Dhaka divisional Estate Officer Nurunnabi Kabir said their eviction drive ended without any unpleasant incidents.
He had said earlier that the drive would cover the area from the Karwan Bazar's BFDC gate crossing to the Tejgaon Railway Station.
bdnews24.com correspondent found that shanties and shops for 200 yards starting from BFDC gate were demolished. About 500 yards from there a few more shanties west of the Tejgaon crossing had also been demolished.
But the place in the middle remains untouched. Asked why these shanties had not been torn down, Kabir said they were prevented from doing so by a court order.
Replying to a question, he said Thursday's accident in the area turned their attention to the illegal establishments.
"That's why we're conducting the eviction drive today," Kabir said.
Railway officials say illegal makeshift shops are set up on Karwan Bazar tracks daily.
On Tuesday, four people were killed and several others wounded after a crowd was caught up between two trains at Karwan Bazar.
Railway accidents have killed over 200 people in Dhaka in the last nine months, according to the railway authorities.
Kabir said they had detained many illegal shopkeepers before but were released after they were made to sign a bond promising they would not set up shops on or along the rail tracks.
"But they reopen their shops after getting released," he explained.
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