DNCC councillor obstructs Rajuk mobile court

A mobile court of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) was forced to back away from an eviction drive midway yesterday as a ward councillor with his 60-70 men chased the team.

The court was removing construction materials from the road in front of an under-construction building of Afsar Uddin, councillor of ward 1 of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), on Sonargaon Janapath Road in Uttara Sector 11, said Rajuk officials and witnesses.

Yesterday was the third day of Rajuk's drive to recover parking spaces in residential areas.

Meanwhile, more than half of the 20 policemen accompanying the court fled the scene when Afsar's men approached, said Rajuk Authorised Officer Md Mizanur Rahman.

He said, "Stones, bricks and other construction materials occupied not only the entire footpath but also part of the road in front of the under-construction building, hindering vehicular movement." As the bulldozer was removing the materials, an outraged Afsar and his supporters manhandled the Rajuk team and shoved them away, said Mizanur.

The councillor claimed that Rajuk officials conducted the drive without any prior notice; they had damaged many properties in the last few days in that area. "That's why there was an altercation between them and me. There was nothing more than that."