Eviction drive: Gazipur City Corp reclaims Tk120cr land, plans school and playground

The Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) has reclaimed Tk120 crore worth of government land by evicting over a hundred illegal slum structures erected on the eastern side of Tongi's Meghna field.

During Wednesday's daylong drive, a total of 242 decimals (approximately 0.81 acres) of land was recovered. The eviction operation was led by Md Zahirul Islam, executive magistrate and regional executive officer of the city corporation's Tongi zone.

He was assisted by Executive Magistrate and Chief Waste Management Officer Md Sohel Rana, Superintendent Engineer (Mechanical) Sudip Basak, Executive Engineer of the Tongi zone Md Ashraf Hossain, along with other city corporation officials and staff members.

The evicted slum had long been identified as a hotspot for drug abuse and various criminal activities, according to local residents and authorities.

City officials say the recovered land will be repurposed for public benefit, with plans to build a primary school and a playground for children in the area.

Administrator of the city corporation and Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Sharaf Uddin Ahmed said the operation was conducted under a "zero tolerance" policy against illegal land encroachment.

"This drive is not only about reclaiming public land but also about restoring the area's social fabric and preventing rising crime," he said. "It marks the beginning of a new chapter focused on public welfare."

He further noted that the school and playground would offer educational and recreational opportunities for local children, helping foster a crime-free and drug-free environment for the next generation.

The efforts are underway to rehabilitate the evicted families in phases, with a focus on humanitarian considerations, according to the city corporation.

Local residents have welcomed the initiative, calling it a bold move toward establishing a more citizen-friendly and development-focused administration.