On August 17, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) demolished an illegal under-construction market owned by Monwar Hossain Dipzol, the local ward commissioner and a film actor, on the bank of the river at Barobazar near the bridge.

Dipzol allegedly assured the businessmen that they would be owners of the shops permanently. Later they came to know that the kitchen market was set up taking lease from BIWTA for only one year.

"We have paid the developer to fill up the river and build the market. After our huge investment the administration demolished the market," said Rashid Ali, a fish seller at Barobazar.

The local traders allege each of them has given Tk 15,000 to 50,000 for filling up the river and Tk 1 lakh to 2 lakh for building shops. Even after paying around Tk 3 crore they did not get the possessions of shops. Dipzol distributed most of the shops among his own people.

"We were supposed to be the owners of the market, but we have been cheated," Dipak Saha, a local said. "We were not informed by anyone about the agreement with the administration. Neither Dipzol nor the kitchen market association told us about it."

"We have filed a case in the lower court claiming compensation from the BIWTA," said Paresh Dutta, general secretary of Barobazar Kitchen Market Association.

The traders have started business there in makeshift shops built over the demolished structures. Around 100 shanties have already been built to sell groceries, fish, vegetables and other commodities.

The signboard of Kitchen Market Association has been set up again following the order of Dipzol.

"We own only 26 of the 157 shops. The others are captured by Dipzol's own people who are unknown to us," said Alam Miah, a grocer.

Sources said the BIWTA officials have not visited the market after the demolition drive on August 17. The chairman of BIWTA had directed the concerned authorities to protect the water body from encroachment and take action against illegal traders.

However, officials of BIWTA said they will conduct a follow up drive to ensure that the area is not occupied again.

"After the drive we took initiatives so that they cannot build any shop again, but they came back soon," said a high official of BIWTA.

Asked, BIWTA Chairman Riaz Hasan Khandaker said: "Some of these encroachers are trying to come back again. After the drive in August, we evicted a number of encroachers who had built makeshift shops and kitchen markets on filled up land."

Dipzol could not be contacted for his comment. He does not appear in public nowadays. Sources said he gives directives to his men over telephone or through his personal assistant.