Don’t evict Miron Jalla Harijan community without rehabilitation: Eminent citizens
A group of 60 eminent citizens have expressed their outrage over the Dhaka South City Corporation's attempt to evict the Miron Jalla Harijan community in Old Dhaka without providing resettlement.
In a joint statement issued today (13 June), the eminent citizens mentioned that residents of the colony said their ancestors were brought to the area 400 years ago for cleaning work.
They stated that more than 700 families currently live in the colony, with over 500 family members engaged in cleaning work for the city corporation.
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"They did not voluntarily come and settle in Dhaka city rather they were brought in to serve the townspeople. Given this reality, it is illegal to evict anyone except those currently working for the city corporation," reads the statement.
The Dhaka South City Corporation's demolition of part of the Harijan colony under the pretext of creating a kitchen market is not only inhumane but also an extreme violation of human rights, said the eminent citizens.
They also demanded the prime minister's intervention in this regard.
Human rights activist and former caretaker government advisers Sultana Kamal, Rasehda K Chowdhury, Nijera Kori Coordinator Khushi Kabir, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman, Advocate ZI Khan Panna, Advocate Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Barrister Sara Hossain, Dhaka University Professor Robaet Ferdous are among the signatories.
