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Since there is no mosque in the Sharif Bagh area of East Mothertech, the local people once had to go to a distant mosque to offer prayers. To alleviate that suffering, everyone in the area bought a place with money and built a mosque there gradually. But after the construction of the mosque, now the worshipers are in new trouble. The place of the mosque has been occupied by an influential man next door. Not only that, the road leading to the mosque was taken over and the wall was also closed. Even though the MP of the area has taken action on the matter, the occupying gang is still influencing Rajuk by managing it. It is said that there is extreme anger of the worshipers in that area.
It has been seen on the surface, the residents of Singapore Road in East Mothertech and its surroundings have purchased a land in 2018 with their own funds and given it as waqf in the name of the mosque. Then they started the construction of a multi-storied mosque on that land. The construction of the mosque is progressing slowly. The owner of the back part of the mosque is Sabina Mumtaz. He has already constructed a multi-storied building by illegally occupying some of the land behind the mosque in East Mother Tek.
In protest of this, the local residents applied to Rajuk Chairman on April 26, 2022 to demolish the illegal part of the building outside the design and to open the entrance road to the mosque from Dakshin Banshri road. After the application, the then chairman of Rajuk directed the concerned authorization officer to stop the construction of the building and demolish the non-design part, but it has not been implemented till now. That influential circle is working to build the building by managing the officer of Rajuk – say the local residents.
Meanwhile, on March 10, when the angry residents appealed to the local MP and Forest, Environment and Climate Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury to demolish the building, the minister issued a written order to the Rajuk chairman. Along with this, instructions were given to the officer in charge of Sabuj Bagh Police Station to prevent the construction of the building. But disobeying the order, the police and Raju managed to finish the work of the 8th floor building. Last week, the officer in charge of Sabuj Bagh police station arrested 10/12 workers while working from the building under construction and brought them to the police station. Later, the building owner brought the construction workers out with a bond at the Sabuj Bagh police station on the condition that the construction work of the building will be stopped. Later, it is alleged that the building owner is continuing the construction work by breaching the bond at the Sabuj Bagh police station.
Local sources say that Shamim is an influential garment businessman among the building owners. He also has a lot of 'black money'. Even if the political influence is not prestigious, money has managed everything from local councilors to police stations and Rajuks. A local terrorist gang is with him. They are doing construction work under influence. When contacted in this regard, Shamim's mobile number was found to be switched off.
According to local residents, last Thursday late night, Sabina Mumtaz from Dakshin Banshri road blocked the entrance by raising the wall on the entrance of the worshipers to the mosque from the side of their land. Devotees of Dakshina Banshri who had come to offer Fajr prayers, were not able to enter the mosque and became angry. Local MP and Environment Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury told the Sabuj Bagh police over the phone after receiving the news of the incident last Friday morning, ordered to break down the boundary wall on the road where the worshipers come to offer prayers and arrange for traffic and to take legal measures to ensure that the law and order situation in the area remains normal.
Meanwhile, Officer-in-Charge of Sabuj Bagh Police Station and Ward No. 4 Councilor Jahangir of Dhaka South City Corporation came to the spot and demolished the illegal boundary wall at the entrance to the mosque from South Banshri Road. Then the worshipers entered the mosque and offered Friday prayers. Later, on behalf of the mosque committee, a general diary was made in this regard at Sabuj Bagh police station on Friday afternoon (No. 1492). Despite appeals to RAJUK from local residents, RAJUK authorities have not taken any action to demolish the building due to mysterious reasons.
According to Rajuk sources, the owner of the building filed a writ in the High Court some time ago so that the Rajuk authorities could not demolish the building. And the Rajuk authorities have not taken any practical action so far regarding the dismissal of the writ for mysterious reasons.
Allegedly, Rajuk Authorized Officer Jhotan Debnath and Rajuk Area Inspector Tanmoy Deb accepted a huge amount of bribe from the building owner. Because of which Rajuk could not take action to demolish the illegal part of the building despite the desire of the chairman against the building.
Residents also said that since the construction of the building, Rajuk authorities were repeatedly informed in writing and verbally about the non-design works. If Rajuk had taken timely measures, the building would not have been built up to 8/9 floors by now. If the entrance to the mosque from the side of that building is closed, the narrow road of 150 feet wide and 100 feet long will not be able to pray in this mosque.
Meanwhile, the building owner has constructed the toilet of the building above that road (from second floor to eighth floor). It is alleged that dirty water is falling on the clothes of the worshipers walking down the road.
Rajuk's area inspector Tanmoy Dev said, “We are not able to work because they are influential.” Responding to a question about the alleged bribery of the authorized officer, he said, “Sir, this is not the kind of person.” Unable to work due to legal complications. I will tell you the details when you come to the office.
He also said that the mosque is a holy place. So it is not right to do with the place of the mosque. He also said that we have sent the document to our legal department. They are also working.
Dhaka South City Corporation Ward No. 4 Commissioner Jahangir Hossain was asked about this on the phone and he said, “I am busy.” I can't talk about this now. Meanwhile, the authorized officer of Rajuk, Jhotan Debnath, did not receive the call.
