Demolition Drive in Dhaka

[Banglatiger84]

So are you for the demolition of illegal structures in Dhaka or against it?

I was initially for it, but now it looks like plain govt bullying just to show "hey, we can break your shop/home when we want to, we are that powerful".

Rajuk officials took bribes and allowed illegal structures, now they are acting all holy and demolishing the illegal structures. Was it really necessary to demolish Floor 13 of a Hospital just because Rajuk didn't permit it (or maybe overlooked it after taking a bribe)?




http://nation.ittefaq.com/artman/pub...le_33949.shtml

13 bighas of land recovered from Rangs Group at Gulshan: Several hundred shops demolished at Mirpur By Staff Reporter Sat, 10 Feb 2007, 12:26:00

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As demolition drives against illegal structures continue in the city with the help of law enforcers, several hundred shops on both sides of Begum Rokeya Sarani at Mirpur area were demolished by the Rajdhani Unnayan Katripakkha (Rajuk) on various grounds, mainly for not keeping car parking spaces, yesterday.

Besides, a portion of a hospital, ground floors of several multi-storeyed buildings, restaurants and sweetmeat shops were also razed using bulldozers. During the drive, an incident of looting also took place. Six persons were arrested allegedly for trying to resist the demolition drive.

But, those who were affected by the demolition of their sources of livelihood and those who are facing similar action posed a question as to why the Rajuk authorities did not forewarn them.

There were allegations that some owners of the buildings did not keep the parking space even though the Rajuk plans provided for that.

Fact remains that the Rajuk inspectors or DCC engineers had all along been in this city and did not ask the owners of buildings to make room for parking space. Rather, they gave tacit support to the construction practices that led to the violation of construction rules.

Admitting their faults, the building owners alleged that they had constructed their buildings paying lakhs of taka as �bribes� to the Rajuk officials. �Why the Rajuk authorities did not take action against us during the last 10 to 15 years,� one affected building owner said.

The building owners said they constructed their buildings taking crores of taka in loans from banks and other financial institutions. The demolition drive would make it difficult for them to pay loan installments.

On the other hand, shop owners sought to know what was their fault. What did the Rajuk do in so many years?

They said they had been doing businesses paying taxes to the government. �We bought possession of the shops spending lakhs of taka to the building owners and have been doing businesses over the last one and a half decades. Why the Rajuk authorities did not serve notices to the owners for so many years? What are our faults? Where we would go now,� a weeping shop owner asked.

Alamgir Hossain, who owns a shoe shop, said many of the shop owners took loans from banks for carrying on their businesses. They owe crores of taka to banks. �How they will repay their loans and run their families,� he asked.

They noted that excesses had been done in many cases in the name of demolition drives. �Such senseless demolitions must be stopped, because ordinary people want to see this caretaker government as a saviour. They want this government in power as long as it is required. People also have a great expectations from this caretaker government,� they said.

The demolition drive, led by a magistrate of Rajuk, caused unprecedented traffic jam on the Rokeya Sarani throughout the day.. But, little was done to ease the traffic congestion. Hundreds of commuters had to remain stranded inside motor vehicles for hours.

At about 4 pm, some of the people who lost their homes in the eviction drive hurled brickbats at police.

During the drive, Rajuk demolished the ground floor walls and the unauthorised 12th floor of Al-Helal Heart Hospital at Senpara in the afternoon. The hospital authorities had not kept any parking space according to the design approved from Rajuk.

The Rajuk magistrate said the demolition drive against the illegally built structures would continue up to IDB Bhaban at Agargaon.

In Gulshan, Rajuk recovered some 13 bighas of land worth several hundred crores of taka which were occupied by Rangs Group for the last ten years illegally.

[akabir77]

That's why when u go for business u make sure u r in legimitate place...

Now you pay

Those days of paying bribe is gone

[Hatebreed]

Just because they took bribes years ago doesn't mean everything is hunky-dory. Illegal is illegal, and land is not charity in our small country. Dhaka is crammed with unsafe, illegal structures, it's about time Rajuk is getting their act together. Let's hope it lasts beyond a few weeks.

[reverse_swing]

Originally Posted by Hatebreed
Just because they took bribes years ago doesn't mean everything is hunky-dory. Illegal is illegal, and land is not charity in our small country. Dhaka is crammed with unsafe, illegal structures, it's about time Rajuk is getting their act together. Let's hope it lasts beyond a few weeks.

Well said! At the same time I would like to see those corrupt Rajuk offcials removed from their service.

[zakirc]

Originally Posted by reverse_swing
Well said! At the same time I would like to see those corrupt Rajuk offcials removed from their service.

Agreed, the soon-to-be reformed and reactivated ACC can actually takes these incidents as starting point of their investigation into RAJUK.

[allrounder]

if someone gave bribe that person is as guilty as the person taking bribe. I think it is a good drive to get rid of all these illegal structures, but i hope advance notices and warnings are given to them ahead of destroying structures, so that the affected can go for alternatives and follow the legal procedures.

[Banglatiger84]

Originally Posted by akabir77
That's why when u go for business u make sure u r in legimitate place...

Now you pay

Those days of paying bribe is gone

When bribery was rife, it was harder for someone to ensure something is legitimate than to pay a bribe and get the work done. I am not sure about what the norms in Rajuk, but lets say you wanted something done legally, for e.g. by paying duty while importing an electronic item, more often than not, the govt officer would try to obtain a bribe instead of allowing you to pay the duty. If you insisted, they would either let you pay or try to harass you even more so that you get frustrated and end up bribing them.

Of course many illegal advantages have been obtained through bribes, but lets not forget that govt officials would force people to pay bribes through harassment or refusing to do things legally.

[Tigers_eye]

Are we talking about haram structures? Yes!! Demolish them all. Haram stuff can not be legal.

[akabir77]

Originally Posted by Banglatiger84
When bribery was rife, it was harder for someone to ensure something is legitimate than to pay a bribe and get the work done. I am not sure about what the norms in Rajuk, but lets say you wanted something done legally, for e.g. by paying duty while importing an electronic item, more often than not, the govt officer would try to obtain a bribe instead of allowing you to pay the duty. If you insisted, they would either let you pay or try to harass you even more so that you get frustrated and end up bribing them.

Of course many illegal advantages have been obtained through bribes, but lets not forget that govt officials would force people to pay bribes through harassment or refusing to do things legally.

No one in right mind denies that....

But still when u take part in such activity you bound get burned today or tomorow.

[ialbd]

it would me wrong to vote for 'no'

although I have some soft corner for the bosti bashis who turned homeless after this drive, nothing for these illegal shop owners whatsoever.....

[shujan]

Everybody should follow the law. Politicians are going to jail for corruptions. Common people are also responsible for their actions.

[gatekeeper]

The watch word here should be 'greater good'. Off course I feel bad about poor slum dewellers being uprooted, small vendor losing their livelyhoods. But law and order must be established for the good of the nation.

[afrina]

Demolition is ok, coz somewhere it is on read. But I personally can't support about destroing hawkers, its effecting nilkhet book market also. I lost a big market from where i usually bought novels and books.

[Imteaz]

We are Not Facing Any Problem. So From Our Perception It is OK. But The People Who are Affected by This Demolition, Definitely They will Go Against this Demolition.

So.................................

[Tigers_eye]

Originally Posted by afrina
Demolition is ok, coz somewhere it is on read. But I personally can't support about destroing hawkers, its effecting nilkhet book market also. I lost a big market from where i usually bought novels and books.

Sorry to hear that. I am certain, if you are a book lover, you will find another market in no time. Because it will be a temporary inconvinience for you; you are not supporting the illegal structures, are you??

[Tigers_eye]

Originally Posted by Warfaze
We are Not Facing Any Problem. So From Our Perception It is OK. But The People Who are Affected by This Demolition, Definitely They will Go Against this Demolition.

So.................................

its like I am thief, I steal from peoples' porch. Once I get caught, I claim why did they leave stuff on the porch. its not my fault, so spare me and compensate me.

[Spitfire_x86]

Originally Posted by afrina
Demolition is ok, coz somewhere it is on read. But I personally can't support about destroing hawkers, its effecting nilkhet book market also. I lost a big market from where i usually bought novels and books.

It's a very good thing if it affects Nilkhet book market. Photocopiers of Nilkhet book market has destroyed the market of genuine higher education textbooks. Many people are paying 40k+ per semester in private universities, but they are unwilling to pay 500 tk for a low price south asian edition version of textbook. Even libraries of the private universities contain many photocopy books. How can we justify that, especially when students pay enough tution fees? Don't tell me that it's doing good to people who really need books at more affordable price. With no photocopy books in the market, they would get higher quality used genuine books. Now they get photocopies or used photocopies instead.

[Spitfire_x86]

___

[allrounder]

By allowing small small things to go against the law, there will be no clear line to be drawn between which one to let go and which one to destroy.

It also more logical to go against the big ones first that went beyond limit of imagination in taking over something that is not theirs, but that does not mean that we can allow the smaller occupiers to keep their occupation for ever.