A group of musclemen are charging a toll of up to Tk 10.000 from evicted families seeking to rebuild their dwellings at the Bhasantek basti in the city which was demolished by the Ministry of Housing and Public Works last month, according to several victims who approached this newspaper last night.

Many people who had been living in the same basti for up to 10 years, returned to the spot after the government assured them that they would not be asked to leave until they were properly rehabilitated.

A group of at least six musclemen were now realising between Tk 7.000 to Tk 10,000 from the evicted families who returned to rebuild their homes.

They are not letting us build our homes where we have lived for 10 years. The group told us thal soon we would oe given land by the government so the sum demanded was justified." alleged a tenant' who lost all her belongings in the heavying community of some 1.000 handed eviction operation. She requested anonymity in fear of reprisal from the mastans.

Tire State Minister for Housing and Public Works, Afsar Undin Khan, was later asked to resign following eviction at the slum.

Others said that the group has already 'sold' the plots to as many as 'lew hundred' families. "Everyone knows that having a plot here would serve as a guarantee for rehabilitation, so many have paid up the sum and are building their huts." said Nasir, another victim who came to The Dally Star office, adding that the real poor and homeless people like him did not stand the slightest chance in front of the mastans.

Asked whether the police were informed about it, Nasir said that they were too afraid to do so. When contacted, the dutyofficer of the Cantonment thana said that they had heard about it but could not do anything because there had not been any written complaint about it.