Occupants’ protest halts eviction drive in Ctg hills

The people who have been living illegally in the Motijhorna hill of Chittagong compelled the district administration to halt its eviction drive on Wednesday morning.
The residents living dangerously in cramped houses on the slope and foot of Motijhorna hill in the port city’s Lalkhanbazar area frequently experienced landslides during monsoon causing deaths of many people.
Additional deputy commissioner (revenue) Md Delwar Hossain led the drive that began around 10:00am and demolished 10 houses and cut power connections of 15 houses. As the locals started protesting, the officials stopped the eviction drive and left the site.
Sitara Banu, a resident of Motijhorna, told New Age that she came to the hill five years earlier from Kurigram. She said, ‘I have the right to live in my house because I pay house rent, and monthly bill for electricity, power and water connections.’ 
Executive magistrate Sabbir Rahman Sani said that they had conducted the drive to save the people from possible landslides that occur almost every monsoon. ‘This hill is completely different from other hills of Chittagong,’ he added.
The Chittagong district administration had warned the residents of the hills to move by April 10, he said. 
The DC office also assigned six executive magistrates to evict the people illegally living in the hills. 
Earlier, the DC office issued letters to Chittagong Water Supply and Sewerage Authority, Power Development Board and Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited to cut illegal power, gas and water connections to those hills.
On January 8 and March 21, they had sent letters to the hill owners to vacate the hills by removing people who have been living there illegally.
Among the hill owners, nine are organisations and another nine are individuals.
The Chittagong DC office also sent letters to Chittagong City Corporation, Bangladesh Railway, Chittagong WASA, Roads and Highway Department, Public Works Department, National Housing Authority and Department of Environment to take necessary measures.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net