Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has cut off utility services to seven buildings in Old Dhaka’s Islambag after it started evicting the chemical warehouses in the neighbourhood.
A DSCC task force carried out raids in the neighbourhood from 10 am to 1 pm on Thursday (Feb 28).
The task force, comprised of members from related government organisations, raided the seven buildings to find warehouses or factories on the ground floor.
The landowners or warehouse owners were unavailable during the raid.
DNCC chief Health Officer Sharif Ahmed Khan who led the raid said that the industries ministry has finalised two places to relocate the chemical warehouses in residential areas.
“Everyone was asked in a public announcement to relocate the warehouses,” he said.
“So far we found warehouses in seven buildings and have cut off their utility services,” he added.
“We haven’t been able to reach the owners. But we told them to relocate the warehouses by Sunday (Mar 3),” he said and added that legal action will be taken if they fail to do so.
Khan said that the crackdown on chemical warehouses will continue throughout the month and all of them will be relocated.
Meanwhile, local businessmen and residents tried to protest against the raids and hinder it but the law enforcers were able to control the situation.
According to a Dhaka district magistrate the local businesses are reluctant to move and that they want the residents to relocate saying that Old Dhaka is the centre of trade.
“The raids aren’t valid. Because neither flammable substances nor the 29 listed chemicals are present here,” said Bangladesh Plastic Packaging Roll Association President Abu Taleb.
“Experts don’t deem the existing chemicals to be flammable,” he added.
He said that they, however, are not opposed to the government evicting warehouses that do store flammable substances.
The crackdown on chemical warehouses and factories came after the Feb 20 Chawkbazar fire that killed at least 69 people.