The eviction of chemical warehouses at Old Dhaka is continuing for the fifth day amid protests of the land owners and businessmen.

The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) task force started their eviction drive on Tuesday (May 5).

The task force was led by DSCC Health Officer Dr Mostafizur Rahman at Chawkbazar area who said, “We already disconnected the utility services at five warehouses in the area.”

The task force started their campaign at Joynag road in Bakshibazar and found plastic factories and warehouses. Later, they cut off utility services to those buildings.

“Remove flammable substances from Old Dhaka. But raw plastic materials are not flammable,” said Riad, one of the protesting businessmen.

“They have to give us time if they want us to relocate. Why do the residents have to suffer?” he added.

Riad said that while the businessmen do support removal of warehouses of flammable substances, the raids that are being carried out are a “mistake.”

The crackdown on factories and chemical warehouses began after a deadly blaze at Chawkbazar’s Churihatta’s killed 67 people on spot, with four others dying later on in the hospital.

The landowners and warehouse owners have strongly protested the campaign and defended their merchandise from the very beginning. Their resistance led to Dhaka South Mayor Sayeed Khokon himself to take part in the eviction campaign on Saturday (Mar 2).