S. M. Mizanur Rahman :
The owners engaged in running unauthorised institutions and business establishments in the residential areas of the capital and other metropolitan cities will have to go as pressure mounted on them to quit the places immediately.
If they do not follow the government’s instruction, their institutions and business establishments will be evicted, the cabinet committee on Wednesday warned.
They had taken plots from Rajuk on lease for residential purposes but rented out those for setting up commercial establishments violating the government’s rule.
The government on Wednesday issued notices to the owners of some 12,957 unauthorised institutions and business establishments in the residential areas of the capital and other metropolitan cities, asking them to clarify why action would not be taken against them.
After assessing and examining owners’ reply, the government will take final decision in a bid to evict the unauthorised institutions and business establishments from the residential areas of the metropolitan cities including capital Dhaka, the decision was taken at a Cabinet committee meeting at the Secretariat in city yesterday.
The Cabinet committee meeting chaired by LGRD secretary Abdul Malek also decided not to renew licenses of those institutions and establishments. It also decided not to issue fresh licenses for running institutions and business establishments in residential areas.
As per the government decision to clear the residential area of all commercial establishments operating without permission, on April 4, the Cabinet committee had decided that unapproved institutions and commercial establishments must leave residential areas in Dhaka city within six months. After getting reply if the cabinet committee is not convinced, the government will go for hard-line and start evicting the commercial establishments from the residential areas, the meeting sources said.
According to meeting sources, the owners of educational institutions, clinics, hospitals, hotels, guest houses and others have been given time to remove their establishments.
Notices have been issued to 3015 illegal commercial establishments at different residential areas of Dhaka North City Corporation while 1,137 in Dhaka South City Corporation.
Besides, there are 26 illegal commercial establishments at different residential areas of Khulna City Corporation, 376 in Gazipur, 40 in Comilla, 150 in Chittagong, 58 in Barisal, 26 in Sylhet and five in Narayanganj.
Apart from these, notices have also been issued to 5534 establishments of Dhaka Electric Supply Company (DESCO), 112 of Power Distribution Company Limited and 12 of Fire Service.
Notices have also been sent to 51 bars including restaurants and clubs, a representative of Narcotics Control Department told the meeting.
Besides, another representative from the ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism told the meeting that they would take decision against 34 four-star and five-star hotels in city after discussion with RAJUK.
The owners of Holey Artisan Bakery, the Gulshan cafe which terrorists stormed earlier this month, will face action as the establishment was operating illegally, the meeting sources said.
Holey Artisan Bakery was illegally set up and it kept doing business without permission (from the authorities).
If such commercial establishments are not closed down, gas, electricity and water supplies to those will be snapped. Besides, the government will not realise any tax or valued added tax (VAT) from the unauthorised institutions. And finally, the unauthorised establishments will have to face the music.
In June 2012, the High Court declared illegal all commercial operations in Dhanmondi residential area, and directed the authorities to remove such institutions to preserve the area’s residential character and environment.
The verdict was delivered on a writ petition asking the government authorities to set a timeline and issue notices to the owners of those institutions, asking them to shift their operations from the area.
