Chemical merchants resist utility snapping drive, confine taskforce officials

Chemical merchants and their workers confined taskforce personnel inside a chemical warehouse on Raj Narayan Datta Road in old Dhaka for about two hours on Sunday after they arrived there to snap utility services of buildings housing chemical concerns. 
The protesters also damaged a government vehicle that had taken the taskforce personnel to the spot.
As the taskforce team entered House No. 2/3 RND Road where a massive quantity of raw materials for making plastic and polythene were stored they were confined until the Lalbagh police rescued them two hours later at about 2PM.
It was for the 2nd time since Saturday that the taskforce faced stiff resistance from chemical merchants.
The taskforce began the drive in old Dhaka on Thursday with recess of DSCC officials said that three taskforce teams snapped utility services of 13 buildings housing chemical concerns on Nanda Kumar Datta Lane, Asgar Ali Lane and Killar More.
Dilu Hajee of Shahid Nagar said that his tenants got no water, gas and power supplies since Thursday when the utilities were snapped at his building. 
Industries ministry joint secretary Ziaur Rahman Khan, who looks after the BCIC, said that sheds were under construction at Shyampur and Tongi for temporary relocation of chemical concerns from old Dhaka.
Bangladesh Chemical and Perfumery Association general secretary Balayet Hossain called the drive unrealistic before the government gave alternative accommodation for their businesses.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net