Sagar Biswas :Seven-year-old Trisha demanded a new dress from her parents to celebrate her birthday. She also had planned to have dinner at a restaurant with her family members including four-year-old younger brother Tanmoy. Wow, it will be a great birthday party….full of fun and joy! Trisha was very happy. But her father Maruf Hassan, a businessman in profession and also resident of Gulshan area, outright rejected the plan. Even, her mother Sanjida Hassan Mehenaj, an executive of an international organization, refused to go to shop to buy a dress for her daughter. Later, they decided to arrange the birthday party at their house in a simple way.It’s not a lone incident. In fact, it’s a story of all who reside in the city’s diplomatic enclave Gulshan, Baridhara and Banani. After July 1 attack at Holey Artisan Bakery, the residents of entire neighborhood are still suffering from panic syndrome. Saltz, a seafood restaurant at Gulshan-mostly foreigners used to come here to taste its food. But at present, a large section of the restaurant remains empty, the tables are left unoccupied. A few customers are coming now with fear in their eyes. Particularly, the foreigners employed in different diplomatic missions and international organizations are showing less interest to go to public places. At the same time, the dwellers of other city areas are also avoiding the locality fearing possible violence.And ultimately, this trend has created a tremendous negative impact on trades and businesses, especially hotels, restaurants, fashion houses and shopping malls at Gulshan and its surrounding areas. The businessmen are counting huge loss daily. Strangely, the police department has not taken any initiatives to reduce general people’s anxiety till the date. Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police [Gulshan Zone] Mostak Ahmed could not be reached over phone despite repeated attempts last night. Now, the RAJUK [Rajdhani Unnayan Katripakkha] have appeared as a new phobia before the businessmen and owners of commercial establishments at Gulshan, Baridhara and Banani.”RAJUK or City Corporation had given approval of these commercial establishments. The businessmen have invested a lot of money there. So, it will be not wise to take quick decision. It needs time…Besides, government must arrange alternative arrangements for them,” eminent urban expert Prof Nazrul Islam said last night. Uncertainty looms large when the authorities have started evicting commercial establishments; those are illegal in the eyes of law. There are several rest houses and hotels in the Gulshan-Banani area, where the businessmen have invested millions of taka. Besides, hundreds of people are now earning their bread from the businesses. But a majority of the hotels and rest houses are not getting boarders. In this situation, the hotel owners at a press conference on Monday urged the government to sit in a meeting to get a solution. Sources close to the RAJUK told The New Nation on Wednesday that it has served ‘notice of eviction’ to around 13,000 commercial establishments situated at Gulshan-Baridhara-Banani areas. Of them, the number of unapproved restaurants is 342. Besides, over 3,500 business establishments at city’s Dhanmondi are now under threat as authorities concerned have started an eviction drive against unauthorized business establishments. On Monday, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court verdict that had ordered the removal of all illegal commercial structures from Dhanmondi residential area. So, RAJUK can continue their eviction drive at Dhanmondi, following the order from the apex court.”In Dhanmondi, several commercial establishments have been set up for the sake of greater city, like hospitals and educational institutions. So, the government must rethink, in which area those will be re-established. Its solely government’s duty,” Prof Nazrul Islam said.
