“We don’t want any rehabilitation or compensation. We just want our land back.”
These were the words of Nisha Rani Das, a resident of Mironjilla Sweeper Colony. Nisha Rani said the city corporation demolished her house and several others last month. After staying briefly with relatives, she and her family faced discrimination when renting a new place, as landlords were instructed not to rent to anyone from the sweeper colony. Despite being willing to pay more due to her visually impaired mother, they were forced to return to their broken home, now covered with tin and makeshift walls, which leaked during recent rains.
“They originally said they would evict 20 houses, but now they are trying to evict 180 houses. At first, they talked about rehabilitation, but now the city corporation says it has no government land available for rehabilitation,” she said.
This year, Nipa Rani Das’s house was next to Barsha Rani Das, an HSC examinee. Her house was also demolished, forcing her to stay with her aunt so that she could sit her exams. The neighbours said the HSC exams are ongoing, and sitting for exams after the eviction just 19 days before is extremely challenging.
Besides Barsha, eight HSC candidates are in the sweeper colony this year, and four are now homeless. During visit to Mironjilla Sweeper Colony under Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) on July 10, it was observed that 12-13 houses along the road beside the old market were demolished.
Some residents stay with relatives, while others live with their families in spaces as small as 2-3 feet or even less. According to sources from the property department of Dhaka South City, the corporation owns about 3.27 acres of land in Mironjilla Sweeper Colony.
The Harijan community has been living there for a long time. Some houses need to be demolished to build a modern market on 27 decimals of land. The previous market was on 17 decimals of land, and the initiative was taken to remove the structures from the remaining land.
Protest program
Meanwhile, in protest against the eviction decision, residents of Mironjilla Harijan Colony held a human chain program in front of the Dhaka National Press Club on July 10.
Leaders of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, Bangladesh Puja Celebration Council, and Dhaka Metropolitan Universal Puja Committee were present.
At the time, Rajesh Das, president of Harijan Sebak Samiti, said: “This colony has shrunk to 16 bighas, and over 5,000 people are living here. Neither the councilor, the police, nor the local residents support us. We are fighting alone. There is a hearing on Thursday; let’s see what the court says. Without legal assistance, we have no hope left.”
400 years of history
The colony residents said that 400 years ago, their ancestors were brought from India, believed to be around the Kanpur and Bihar regions, to work in sanitation.
Currently, over 500 families live in the colony in a small space. Most of the family members are employed by the city corporation in sanitation work. Some have died, and others have been dismissed from their jobs.
All Harijan community members have this colony listed as their permanent or temporary address on their national ID cards.
Sumit Das, a resident, said: “We have been living on this land for four generations. They have built two buildings, but only those appointed by the secretary can live there. Once this place was a dump, we cleaned it and made it livable. Now they want this place. Sometimes, they claim it’s for a mosque, sometimes a temple, a road, or a school, and now they’re trying to grab the land for a modern market.
“If evicted, where will these 180 families go? This colony has been our birthplace for hundreds of years. Everything revolves around this colony. Outside the colony, we can’t use our language or culture. No one accepts us because we are sweepers, and they always keep a distance,” he added.
Resident Raju Das said, “During Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s time, it was said that we wouldn’t be evicted. Now, they neither provide jobs nor housing if there’s no job. They say employment ends at 59 years old. Previously, when someone retired, another family member would get a job, but not anymore. Those who got jobs are being called illegal. They have built two buildings, but the flats are allocated only to those who got new jobs.”
Rabindra Das, a first-year Jagannath University student in the Bangla department, said: “We want to stay on this land. We request the government to legalize our land on paper.”
What happened earlier?
In response to the Harijan community’s application, on July 2, 2019, the Physical Infrastructure Division of the Planning Commission requested the local government secretary not to construct any commercial buildings or markets on the land of Mironjilla Harijan City Colony.
On July 5 of that year, former planning minister MA Mannan wrote a letter to the then mayor of DSCC Sayeed Khokon requesting the resolution of the colony residents’ job and housing issues.
On May 16, 2022, the Harijan Sebak Samiti requested the mayor of DSCC to solve the housing crisis by constructing five 10-story buildings.
On the same day, the councillor of Ward 33 of the south city, Awal Hossain, also requested the mayor to build five 10-story buildings in Mironjilla Harijan Sweeper Colony.
On June 13, the High Court ordered the authorities concerned to refrain from evicting the Harijan community on Aga Khan Road in the city’s Bongshal area until alternative accommodation is ensured for them. The HC also issued a rule asking the government to explain why the eviction drive at Harijan Colony without taking any measure for their accommodation should not be declared illegal.
