Barishal Bureau :
There are piles of dirt on the roads of Barisal metropolis. Garbage has not been removed from the city roads in the last two days by the Barishal City Corporation (BCC). Of the roads, Fazlul Haque Avenue, Bibi Pukur, C&B Road, Chawk Bazar, Kaunia, Hospital Road and others have been turned into the places of garbage depots.
Although the civic service is disrupted, no one in charge is picking up the phone. An official working in another department of the city corporation said on condition of anonymity that there was no one to remove the garbage as many BCC officials and employees were accused in the case in connection with the incident that took place last Wednesday night. He said, ‘There are problems in routine work due to lack of people in charge. However, if the situation improves, everything will be normal again.
According to the sources, many BCC officials and employees are in hiding fearing arrest. Many of them have their mobile phones turned off.
BCC workers, BCL and Juba League leaders personnel were locked in a clash with UNO security at the Sadar Upazila Parishad premises on Wednesday night.
No one has been seen cleaning the streets since then. Many residents of the metropolis have complained that the stench of garbage has made it difficult to move around the city.
UNB adds: garbage piled up on the streets with no cleaners around as an uneasy calm prevailed in the city on Friday, two days after clashes broke out between supporters of the mayor and law enforcers leaving dozens of people injured.
On Friday, the weekend morning walkers were greeted with heaps of rotting and stinking garbage on streets across the city. Two large piles were found even on Dhaka-Barishal highway disrupting traffic.
The city dwellers have been facing this situation for the past two days as the city corporation’s cleaners went on an unannounced strike from work.
It is being seen as a fall-out of the violence on Wednesday night when dozens of activists from the AL and Bangladesh Chhatra League stormed into the residence of Sadar upazila nirbahi officer in a dispute over the removal of some banners from his office premises.
Tension mounted after the UNO and police filed two cases against 94 people in which city mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah was named as the prime accused for the violence.
Meanwhile, the city residents suffer.
Basinda Fazle Swapan of Barishal Central Bus Terminal in Nathullabad area said that garbage remained dumped in the streets for the last two days. On normal times the garbage would have been cleared every night but city corporation’s cleaners have stopped work after since the clashes.
The transport workers, including supporters of the mayor, activists of Chhatra League and Jubo League, blocked the Dhaka-Barishal highway with buses in Rupatoli and Nathullabad Bus Terminal areas in the small hours of Wednesday.
The dumped garbage has not been cleaned from the streets since that night.
CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver Rubel said that from Kashipur to Amtala junction, he saw garbagedumped in the middle of the road and in front of the UNO office. “We are also having troubles in driving,” he added
Mahfuz of BM College Road area said that the garbage has remained piled up in the area for two days. The air here is filled with foul smell and the garbage piles also disrupt movement of vehicles through the area.
Meanwhile, volunteers who normally help Covid jab seekers, moved out of 24 vaccination centres in the Barishal City Corporation area on Thursday.
UNB correspondent’s phone calls and SMS to Barishal City Corporation Chief Executive Officer Syed Farooq Hossain and Chief Cleaning Officer Dr. Rabiul Islam went unanswered.
Besides, police have arrested 21 people in connection with the cases filed over the attack on the residence of Barishal Sadar UNO till Saturday noon, said police.
Nurul Islam, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, said “So far police have arrested 21 people in connection with the attack on the residence of the UNO and 13 of them were arrested on Wednesday and Thursday while the rest on Saturday from different parts of the city.”
Earlier, on Wednesday, the clash broke out between the supporters of the AL, BCL and members of Ansar when the former tried to attack the residence of the UNO at Sadar Upazila Complex in Barishal Wednesday night. Five people suffered bullet wounds during the clash.
According to witnesses, the city corporation staff went to the residence of UNO Munibur to lower a banner hanging over the area.
At one stage, the UNO came out and enquired about the matter, leading to a verbal altercation between him and Swapan Kumar Das, a city corporation staff.
During this time, some 25-30 people entered the complex, and a scuffle broke out between Ansar and the mob, triggering a clash. At one stage, the Ansar members opened fire on them. On information, police rushed to the spot and charged batons to disperse the mob.
Some 25 people were injured in the clashes with the police and Ansar. Two separate cases were filed in this connection.
Earlier, two activists of the ruling Awami League and its youth front Jubo League, who suffered gunshot wounds in firing by the village defence party or Ansar last Wednesday in Barishal have lost their eyesight.
The unfortunate duo were identified as Monirul Islam Monir, president of Ward 23(Barishal city) Awami League unit, and Tanvir, a Jubo League activist.
Shafiquzzaman Rubel, the Mayor of Muladi Municipality of Barishal disclosed the matter to the press on Saturday. They are currently undergoing treatment in Dhaka, he added.
Some 21 people have been arrested in connection with the cases filed over the attack at the residence of the Barishal Sadar UNO till Saturday noon, said police.
Nurul Islam, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, said “So far police have arrested 21 people in connection with the attack on the residence of the UNO and 13 of them were arrested on Wednesday and Thursday while the rest on Saturday from different parts of the city.”
The clash broke out on Wednesday between the supporters of the AL, BCL and members of Ansar when the former tried to attack the residence of the UNO at Sadar Upazila Complex in Barishal Wednesday night.
Five people suffered bullet wounds during the clash.
According to witnesses, the city corporation staff went to the residence of UNO Munibur to lower a banner hanging over the area.
At one stage, the UNO came out and enquired about the matter, leading to a verbal altercation between him and Swapan Kumar Das, a city corporation staffer.
During this time, some 25-30 people entered the complex, and a scuffle broke out between Ansar and the mob, triggering a clash. At one stage, the Ansar members opened fire on them.
On information, police rushed to the spot and charged batons to disperse the mob.
Some 25 people were injured in the clashes with the police and Ansar.
Two separate cases were filed in this connection.
Barishal city corporation mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah has been made the primary accused in both the cases.
