Govt employees stage sit-in protesting eviction

They withdrew their sit-in following DC Abul Kalam's assurance that he would look into the matter and take necessary steps.

On Friday morning, several hundred government employees gathered and obstructed evection of one Anisur Rahaman, an employee of Barisal Divisional Commi-ssioner's office from the land.

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The college authorities had to postpone the eviction in the face of opposition by government employees.

In the evening, the district BAMIKS at an emergency meeting held at the circuit house adopted a resolution calling upon the college authorities to stop the construction and eviction or to face tougher agitation.

Meeting was presided over by Barisal BAMIKS President Shamsu-ddin Ahamed.

The BAKIMS claims that the land in the city heart on which the college building is being constructed was allotted to it for a housing project for government employees.

Barisal City College was established at Gorachand Das Road of Barisal city in 1991 when BNP was in power.

In 1993, the college was shifted to a government khas land at Sadar Road in the city, allegedly without prior permission from the government.

Former BNP lawmaker Abdur Rashid Khan, now organizing secretary of central BNP, was the then principal of the college. After the shifting, its authorities requested the government to allot the land to the college.

The government allotted one and half acres of land in Char Bodna area in the city and at the same time allowed its continuation at the present site at Gorachand Das Road till construction is conmpleted at Char Banda.

Government employees are also living on the land at Gorachand Das Road, claiming that the land was allotted to them for a housing project.

During Awami League rule, several corruption cases were filed against Abdur Rashid, who then resigned from his post of principal in 2003.

Later, the Deputy Commissioner also resigned from the post of chairman of the governine body.

The Barisal Education Board also cancelled the permission to admit students and hold examination at the college.

Under this circumstances, city Mayor Mazibur Rahaman Sarwar became president of the college governing body. The permission to admit students and hold examination wasc restored in 2004.

The Mayor laid foundation of the college building at Gorachand Das Road on July 22.

Construction work of the college building was started about a week back. Three families have already been evicted from there, the government employees claimed.

When contacted, college principal Bilkis Jahan Akther said the college authorities were not evicting the families of government employees but was only "shifting them to another place".

Asked whether the college authorities have any legal right to construct building for the college on the disputed land, she said, "The college would get the right within December next".

When asked, the Mayor said the DC was the previous Chairman of the Coolege Governing Body and he had not raised any objection before.