Hundreds of illegal shanty houses, shops and structures were pulled down on Tuesday in the capital’s Bhashantek area in an eviction drive.
National Housing Authority conducted the drive with the help of law enforcement agencies.
The slum dwellers and shop owners claim they are in dire straits as the drive was conducted after the authorities issued a 12-hour notice.
Following the drive many slum residents were seen busy to evacuate their residents with belongings and standing on nearby roadsides for hours with no idea where to go.
“Where we will go now as the eviction drive has damaged our shelter and other household items,” one slum dweller Hashem told the FE.
Hasem (33), hailed from Kishoreganj and working as a day labourer, said that he along his four family members had been staying there for 20 years.
A good number of the evicted slum dwellers were seen preparing for going to their respective village homes.
Niranjan Pal (35), who stayed at the shanty with his three-member family, said he came from Netrokona district three years ago and was living in the slum since then. He learned about the drive on Monday night and had to evict leaving his belongings there.
Sajib, a local shop owner at the area, said the ministry evicted the slum dwellers giving a short notice that fell them in difficult situation.
He claimed that his shop also got evicted during the drive.
Like Pal, Hasem and Sajib, others evicted dwellers expressed their concern and disappointment due to such instant eviction drive.
When asked, officials of the ministry and law enforcement agencies refused to make any comment regarding the eviction drive.
