Kazi Zahidul Hasan : Transport workers once again showed their ‘raw power’ through a rowdy protest during an eviction drive against the illegally occupied Truck Terminal at Tajgaon in city on Sunday. They went berserk and fought pitched battles with police during the drive led by Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Annisul Huq himself. Witnesses and police said some people attacked the DNCC employees soon after they launched the eviction drive at around 1:30pm. As police tried to stop the attackers, the workers vandalised vehicles and swooped on law enforcers with sticks and iron rods. The workers also pelted brickbats at the police and journalists covering the eviction drive compelling the law-enforcers to fire rubber bullets and teargas shells leaving many of the workers injured. In the face of the rowdy protest, the authorities called off the drive and the helpless mayor took shelter at the nearby office of Bangladesh Truck and Covered Van Drivers Union for his safety.Railway Minister Mujibul Huq who was with the DNCC mayor fled the place soon after the clash was erupted. Annisul Huq, who always terms himself as an energetic and dynamic mayor, remained virtually confined there for about three hours and later came out from the office with police and RAB protection, proving his bid to evict the illegal occupation futile.Insiders said a section of transport owners and workers are involved in drug, arms and toll collection business over the years illegally grabbing the Tejgaon truck stand and its adjacent area under the cover of influential quarters.”They have grabbed around 39 bighas of land in and outside of the truck depot to run illegal business under the cover of a powerful syndicate,” a leader of Bangladesh Truck and Covered Van Owners’ Association, told The New Nation on Monday, asking not to be named.He added: The syndicate is extracting millions of taka every day from the illegal business and toll collection there. They are displaying muscle power time and again as they are reportedly being blessed by the influential ministers and senior leaders of the ruling Awami League government. Before the AL government, they also took blessing from the then BNP government to show their muscle power, according to the insiders. They said it is totally impossible for the transport workers to violate the government’s order if the political leaders do not shelter them. The politicians use them for their political reason. Even, some of the transport owners and workers are directly involved with the politics of AL and BNP and thereby helping them to show the raw power. They also can manage the local administration with the influence of political leaders what they have been doing for many years. Now they have become very powerful taking the shelter of political parties. So, it will be very difficult for a mayor to dismiss the powerful syndicate. The government at an inter-ministerial meeting on September 14 decided to shift the Tejgaon truck depot somewhere on the outskirts of the capital in phases. Before the shifting, the meeting also decided to evict illegal structures from the depot and its surroundings. Besides, it decided to ease traffic movement through freeing the roads in the area from illegal parking.As part of the decision, the mayor gave an ultimatum for removal of all illegal structures by November 27.The DNCC mayor on several occasions made his stand clear that as he blessed by the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, to take action any illegal occupation in the city, he does not care any muscle power.”Whether he may be minister or lawmaker comes to me with any illegal request I always give him Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s cell number to talk to her. So, my strength is my Prime Minister,” Annis told this earlier at a TV talk show. Annisul Huq on Monday said that the truck stand would be shifted at any cost and tough action would be taken against those who resisted the eviction drive at Tejgaon truck stand.The major also came up with the warning at a press conference held in the city.
