At Dhaka’s Kalabagan Bashir Uddin Road, a multi-storied has been causing public suffering as construction materials left on road have clogged WASA’s drain, resulting in stagnant putrid water.

Reportedly, the building belongs to FM Touhidul Alam, an assistant secretary of the home ministry and his relative.

The situation has lingered for some time, triggering jams and narrowing of the road.

Instead of removing the materials, Alam is known to have run roughshod on everyone in the area and, using his influence, his sister allegedly misbehaved with locals. A complaint to the police yielded no result.

Based on the complaints by locals, the City Corporation gave one day to remove the items or face legal consequences.

On Saturday (Jan 19), a Kalabagan police sub-inspector led a team to the area and ordered the removal of construction materials from the road, but at that time, Alam’s sister refused to comply.

At one point, the sister called her brother Alam who had a long conversation with the police officer, who politely asked him to tell the workers to remove the building materials to ease congestion, water-logging and suffering of the road users.

Later, some materials were taken away at the request of the policeman.

However, the building materials were back on the road later on. To this, Sub-Inspector Arif of Kalabagan police said, “If they have put them back then I will tell the night patrol team to look into it.”

Meanwhile, Touhidul Alam told Bangla Tribune, “I have removed all construction materials from the road.”

He refuted the allegation of an altercation between the police and his relatives.

After hearing the incident, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sayeed Khokon ordered the removal of construction materials from the road.

DSCC additional waste management official Khondokar Millatul Islam said, “After an order from the mayor, we have prepared dumper and other equipment though the owner of the house asked time till Sunday morning.”

DSCC local executive, Mizanur Rahman says, “After complaint, our people have gone to the spot and we have given time; if the materials are not removed on time, we will impound all the items on the road.”