Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has expressed surprise over an eviction drive conducted in his constituency without informing him, following clashes between police, city corporation officials and small roadside traders in Mirpur.
He said authorities should ensure alternative arrangements for affected traders before carrying out such drives and called for an investigation into allegations of extortion from small businesses operating on the footpaths.
The eviction drive took place around Hope Market in the Mirpur 13-10 area about 10:30am on Wednesday. Clashes broke out between the officials involved in the operation and roadside traders.
In a post on his verified Facebook page, Dhaka-15 MP Shafiqur said some city corporation equipment was damaged and officials and employees involved in the drive were attacked. Police also clashed with some traders, while journalists covering the incident were reportedly obstructed.
He said Mirpur is an important parliamentary constituency and that residents had elected him as their representative.
“Had the concerned authorities consulted the local MP before taking such action, the matter could perhaps have been handled in a more coordinated manner,” he said.
He said he also had a responsibility in the matter and could have been involved, adding that consultation among the relevant parties could have led to a better and more effective solution.
Shafiqur called for a practical solution that would keep footpaths clear for pedestrians without causing unnecessary hardship to small traders.
The Jamaat chief also referred to allegations that a group of people had been collecting money from small traders for months in exchange for allowing them to operate on the footpaths.
According to the allegations, he said, money was collected on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis.
Such practices are unacceptable, he said, adding that the financial burden ultimately falls on consumers and the wider public.
He called for coordinated and sustainable measures rather than isolated eviction drives.
“Alternative arrangements should be ensured before taking such a decision,” he said, adding that the authorities should consider whether any alternative arrangements had been made for the affected traders.
Shafiqur also said future operations should involve the local MP and other relevant stakeholders.
He urged everyone involved in the dispute to remain calm and said any solution should be “neutral, practical and humane” and should not cause unnecessary harm to anyone.
He also said that those he described as “accomplices of fascism” had no place, without providing further details.
