Locals block Dhaka-Ctg highway for 5hrs

CHATTOGRAM, Aug 23: Thousands of residents, including women and children, of Jungle Salimpur in Chattogram blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram highway on Tuesday, demanding restoration of electricity supply in the area.
The demonstrators put the barricade at Banglabazar Bypass point in the Foujdarhat area on the highway around 1:00pm and chanted slogans demanding restoration of electricity supply, which was cut off by the administration earlier. The protesters also demanded a permanent lease of the khas land in the area.
During the demonstration, traffic movement on the highway remained suspended for over five hours, causing a 25-kilometre-long tailback on both sides.
On information, police and high officials of Chattogram district administration rushed to the spot and tried to control the situation. But the protesters did not agree to leave the road. The argument between the government side and the protesters went on for hours with no result.
At one stage, at around 5:00 pm, police opened blank fire, hurled tear shells and charged batons to disperse the crowd. Chased by police, the protesters moved backward and took position on Bayazid Link Road.
Finally, the traffic movement on the highway resumed at around 6:00 pm, after five hours of blockade.
Additional Superintendent (Sitakund Circle) of Police Ashraful Karim said that police kept their nerve and tried to control the situation peacefully.
As the protesters got involved in clashes "among them", police had to charge batons to clear the road, he said.
Shamsul Alam, a resident of Jungle Salimpur who took part in the protest, said that there was hardly any power supply in his area.
He said, "The government almost suspended electricity supply in the name of load-shedding. Due to a lack of power supply, there is no water in the area."
"Though I managed some water to drink for my family, I could not take a bath for the last four days," he added.
Mohammed Robiul Hossain, another resident in the area, said, "We admit that we are living on government land illegally, but we do have the right to rehabilitation."
Earlier, on Monday, Deputy Commissioner of Chattogram Mohammad Mominur Rahman said a large-scale operation would be conducted from next September to remove all illegal structures built by cutting hills in Jungle Salimpur and Alinagar areas.
It may be mentioned that illegal occupiers have long been cutting hills and selling pots in the areas. More than 30,000 people have been living there by building houses on illegal plots.
The government has recently taken up mega plans to reclaim over 3,000 acres of khas land and initiate several projects, including night safari park, sports village, stadium, central jail, iconic mosque and hospitals, on the reclaimed land.

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