Mahmud Hasan Pial :

A house occupies a 6-lane, 150-feet road in the capital’s Agargaon. The North City Corporation constructed the 6-lane road, while the privately-owned tin shed house stands in the middle of the road. Although the view being eye-catching, it has caused trouble for vehicles. With rising traffic, it creates risky circumstances for vehicles.

Hiron, the driver of a bus named Alif, said that despite the road being well-polished, he has to remain more aware while driving near the house. “After coming close to this house, fear arises in me because there is little space to cross the zone,” he said. Although no major accidents have been reported, there is a fear of accidents working on the drivers’ minds who are passing through the area. Another bus driver, Atikul, told The Daily Morning Voice, “When I cross the house, I have to be afraid because there is little space to cross the zone, but a number of vehicles are moving in front of the house on Syed Morshed road.”

A motorcycle rider said, “The road is fine, but there is a little trouble that we have to face when driving on this road.” The North City Corporation was trying to acquire the land of the privately-owned house during the construction work of the 6-lane road, but it still can’t acquire the land due to some legal complications. This rare view is continuously sighted by people passing through the area.

China has witnessed similar incidents. In 2003, when China was constructing a highway in the Shanghai region, everyone gave up land to the government for the road, for which the government also compensated them. But one tenacious house owner refused to give up his land, triggering a similar deadlock.

It was a big problem for the Chinese government. When all efforts went in vain, the government was forced to leave the house untouched in the middle of the four-lane road and build a two-lane road in that portion.Eventually in 2017 it had been demolished by the government in compensation deal with the house owner and authority concerned.  It seems Dhaka North is also facing a similar situation.

Noorjahan Begum, the owner of the one-storey building on a six-decimal piece of land in front of the Department of Archives and Library on the Syed Mahbub Morshed Road, bought the land in 1964 when the road was much narrower. Now she is not willing to give up the land even though part of the land falls on the road.”