Sweepers and left-leaning politicians on Wednesday demanded registration of land ownership documents in the name of the residents of Miranzilla Harijan Colony in Dhaka鈥檚 Bangshal area.
They made the demand at a rally in front of the National Press Club in the capital, protesting at their eviction from the colony by the Dhaka South City Corporation without proper rehabilitation.
Protesters said that the DSCC had to stop its project to build a multi-storey market by evicting the residents of the colony, where they have been living for centuries.
At the rally, veteran left politician Mujahidul Islam Selim alleged that the DSCC was trying to build the market by evicting the sweepers from Miranzilla colony without being the owner of the land.
The colony was khas land, he said, adding that the landless people have the first right to khas land (government land).
He said, 鈥楬arijan community people were deprived of the right to land in the country even after 50 years of independence.鈥�
He threatened all-out work abstention across the country if the DSCC would not stop the eviction.
Demanding registration of the documents of the land in the name Miranzilla Harijan Colony residents, the protesters said that the democratic and progressive organisations of Bangladesh would stand by the sweepers in their struggle.
Jatiya Mukti Council secretary Faizul Hakim, Ganosamhati Andolan central leader Monir Uddin Pappu, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front general secretary Raihan Uddin, Miranzilla Panchayat Committee president Krishna Charan were, among others, who spoke at the rally.
