Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has changed the date of starting a combing operation to clean the roads and footpaths from illegal grabbers from the previous September 20 (Friday) to September 22 (Sunday).
The drives will start from September 22 from Uttara (zone 1), and will continue till October 30.
DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam announced the new date during a meeting with officials of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), lawmakers and councillors of his city corporation.
"DNCC and DMP will start a joint drive to clean all illegal structures from the city," said the mayor at a meeting at Nagar Bhaban in Gulshan area of the capital.
The mayor called upon all the illegal grabbers to remove their own structures before drives start.
The magistrate will stay in a specific zone for 15 days, collect sample and prepare modelling to identify problems during the drive. DNCC will go to next area after finishing one area, he added.
He said that police and councillors blame each other for collecting extortion money from the illegal occupants of footpaths and roads.
"If any officer-in-charge (OC) of a police station finds any councillor of the city corporation involved in collection of extortion money or any councillor finds any OC involved with the same crime, they should inform me," said the mayor.
"Many of you have set up political offices, hotels, schools, and other structures illegally on the roads and footpaths. I request you to remove your belongings on your own," he said.
"There are many interest groups who will be affected during the drive. Do not play politics. Do not do business on footpath. It belongs to people. All the intersections of the roads up to 1,000 feet will be cleaned totally," said Mr Atiq.
Many developers have put their construction materials on roads and footpaths, said the mayor.
"We will not tolerate any construction material on roads or footpaths and any business by holding the pedestrians hostage. These sands and stones go to drains and block the flow. No one can sell cars on roads," said Atiq.
When answering questions of the media, Atiq said that some police boxes on the footpaths and roads do not create any obstruction. It is necessary for police as they are on duty, he added.
Earlier, DNCC Chief Estate Officer Aminul Islam made a presentation on the strategy of how the drives will be conducted. He said that 102 roads have been identified where mobile courts will be conducted, he added.
He said that the local MP, councillors, officers-in-charge (OCs), officials of engineering and waste management department of DNCC will be involved during the drives.
Most of the areas where DNCC conducted drives have become occupied the very next day. The occupants have again grabbed the north side of Ananda cinema, Mirpur 1, Mirpur 10, Gabtoli, Sonargaon Janapad, Gawsul Azam Sarak, Notun Bazar, Tejgaon industrial area, Mohakhali bus terminal, East Rampura, Progoti Soroni, Moddho Badda traffic box, Bangla Motor which were made free through drives.
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