Key Highlights
- After the administration’s warning, traders have demolished their shops and removed their goods from the beach in the Sugandha Point area.
- More than 500 establishments have been removed.
- The Cox’s Bazar district administration has said that the sandbanks of Sugandha Beach have been cleared of encroachment after almost 20 years.
- Members of the Bangladesh Army, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police and Ansar were present along with the district administration in the operation.
- The affected traders have demanded immediate rehabilitation.
- In the last three days, about 630 establishments have been removed from different points of the beach following the instructions of the Home Minister.
Sugandha Beach cleared of encroachment on the administration’s instructions: Traders remove shops on their own initiative
After the administration’s warning, traders have demolished their shops and removed their goods from the beach in the Sugandha Point area of Cox’s Bazar. In this, about 500 establishments have been removed.
Cox’s Bazar district administration officials said that the sandbanks of Sugandha Beach have been liberated after almost 20 years. However, traders affected by the eviction have demanded immediate rehabilitation.
Removal begins after deadline
The district administration set a deadline of 10 am on Sunday to remove the structures built on the sandbanks of Sugandha Point. At around 2 pm, members of the district administration, Bangladesh Army, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police and Ansar reached the spot and started giving instructions using mikes. After that, traders started moving their shops and establishments voluntarily.
Traders’ concerns and losses
Sugandha Point trader Mohammad Sohel said,
‘এখন আমাদের দোকান সরিয়ে নিতে হচ্ছে। রমজান মাস চলছে, সামনে ঈদ, কিন্তু আমাদের ভবিষ্যৎ কী হবে তা শুধু আল্লাহই জানেন। সন্তানদের কী জবাব দেব জানি না। গত এক মাস দোকান প্রায় বন্ধ থাকায় বিক্রি খুব কম হয়েছে, তাই এখনো তাদের ঈদের পোশাকও কিনে দিতে পারিনি।’
Translation: “Now we have to move our shop. The month of Ramadan is going on, Eid is coming, but only Allah knows what our future will be. I don’t know what to answer my children. Since the shop has been almost closed for the past month, sales have been very low, so I haven’t even been able to buy them Eid clothes yet.”
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Oyster seller Shahidul Islam said,
‘প্রশাসনের সিদ্ধান্তকে সম্মান জানিয়ে আমরা নিজেরাই দোকান সরিয়েছি। কিন্তু কষ্টটা থেকেই গেছে। ঈদ সামনে রেখে ভালো ব্যবসার আশায় অনেকেই ঋণ নিয়ে দোকানে বিনিয়োগ করেছিলেন। এখন হঠাৎ উচ্ছেদের কারণে প্রায় ৫ থেকে ৬ লাখ টাকা ক্ষতির মুখে পড়েছি। এই ক্ষতি কীভাবে পুষিয়ে নেব তা শুধু আল্লাহই জানেন।’
Translation: “We moved our shops ourselves, respecting the administration’s decision. But the hardship remains. Many people had taken loans to invest in shops in the hope of good business ahead of Eid. Now, due to the sudden eviction, we have faced a loss of about 5 to 6 lakh taka. Only God knows how we will recover this loss.”
The administration has announced that a similar eviction drive will be carried out against the establishments built on the beaches of Laboni and Kalatali Point in a phased manner. Executive Magistrate (Tourism Cell) of the Cox’s Bazar District Administration, Manju Bin Afnan, said,
‘ব্যবসায়ীরা নিজেদের দায়িত্বেই এলাকা থেকে দোকান সরিয়ে নিয়েছেন। দোকান ও মালামালের সংখ্যা বেশি হওয়ায় সকালে তারা কিছু অতিরিক্ত সময় চান। সেই সময়ের মধ্যেই তারা দোকান সরিয়ে নেন।’
Translation: “The traders have moved their shops from the area on their own responsibility. Since there are a large number of shops and goods, they asked for some extra time in the morning. They moved their shops within that time.”
Regarding the rehabilitation, he said,
‘এ বিষয়ে চূড়ান্ত সিদ্ধান্ত নেবেন ঊর্ধ্বতন কর্তৃপক্ষ। ব্যবসায়ীরা তাদের অভিযোগ বা দাবি কর্তৃপক্ষের কাছে জানাতে পারেন, প্রয়োজনীয় সিদ্ধান্ত নেওয়ার আগে সেগুলো বিবেচনা করা হবে।’
Translation: “The higher authorities will take the final decision in this regard. Traders can convey their complaints or demands to the authorities, they will be considered before taking the necessary decision.”
“The authorities will first liberate the beach from encroachment, then step by step they will conduct activities to restore order in the entire beach area,” added Executive Magistrate Manju.
Following the instructions of the Home Minister, the district administration has removed about 630 establishments from various points of Cox’s Bazar beach in the last three days.
Source: The Daily Star
