Rajuk crackdown resumes Oct 17

Capital's development-authority Rajuk is firm to continue its crackdown on commercial establishments from the city's residential areas despite strong opposition from businesses and civil society.

After a pause in the crackdown, launched after the deadly café attack in the posh Gulshan residential-diplomatic zone in July, the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) is set to resume its drive on October 17 with police backup.

Officials said the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) authorities have assured the Kartripakkha of required number of police personnel for the drive.  

So far, the Rajuk has shut down some 62 such 'illegal establishments', like hotels, guesthouses and restaurants, evicted 17 unauthorized businesses from car-parking areas, and demolished 150 ramps in the drive that began on July 25, the officials said. A sum of about Tk 3.8m was also realised as fines, they mentioned.