There is a storm of criticism in Cox’s Bazar due to the overnight construction of an illegal market at Sugandha Point. Cox's Bazar district administration has indicated to publication of the picture of this illegal market in Facebook which went viral. People of Cox's Bazar demanded exemplary punishment for the people who engaged with this activities. They demanded that the syndicate should be brought under the law.
Kamal Hossain, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Cox’s Bazar, has said that eviction drive will be carried out to root out the illegal shops.
However about 30 shops were evicted on Saturday. An investigation committee was formed led by Shahjahan Ali, Additional District Magistrate (ADM), on Sunday afternoon in this regard. The DC said, “I do not know who built the market before and after Eid day. Nobody informed me about the matter. I came to know about the construction of the market by different media on Saturday morning. Being informed the market was evicted in the afternoon.”
He also said that the legal action would be taken against those who were involved in constructing the illegal market. If somebody of the district administration is involved in the misdeeds, he will also be brought under the law, he added. It has been learned that about 50 shops were built on both sides of Baliabari at Sugandha Point before and after night of Eid al-Fitr. The markets were built overnight due to being the government holiday to avoid the administration.
Locals said, about 2 to 4 lakh taka has been demanded for every shop. According to some local traders, Md Rubel, President of Sugandha Bech Zinuk Business Association, General Secretary Zaker Hossain, Juba Dal leader Joynal, Nurul Huda, Jalal, president of Sea-Gal Points Business Co-operative Society and some other influential played vital role in this connection. It was alleged that a magistrate of the district administration was also involved in construction of the illegal shops overnight. The illegal work was done in presence of a number of beach staffs.