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Eviction fear haunts 27,000 'Sattala' slum dwellers

SABRINA KARIM MURSHED
Some 27,000 slum dwellers at Sattala Bastee are living in uncertainty, threatened by eviction by the Ministry of Health.
"We dread to think what will happen to us after April 22," said Tamijuddin Master, an inhabitant of the slum who along with three others had filed a writ petition with the High Court on behalf of the slum dwellers following an eviction drive in July last year. The court issued a stay order against the eviction until October 22, 2003. It was later
extended to April 22, 2004.
Ankurunnesa, a woman in her 50s looked devastated. "I have been living here for the last 40 years. Where will I go if they evict us?" she asked.
The Sattala slum is situated near the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) and has been named after its six-storeys, popularly known as the 'Sattala (7-floor) Hospital'. Sprawled over 25 acres, the slum is one of the largest on government land, housing some 4915 families.
Drivers, domestic help, garment factory workers, cart pullers, tailors, grocers, hawkers and others belonging to the
low-income live in the area, originally designated for hospital staff.
"We have heard rumours that the government would construct a 'health complex' to provide accommodation to hospital staff here," said Shahnawaz Gazi, a
hospital employee. "However, the plan never saw light and we went on to build houses on our own following a verbal order from the hospital authorities," he said.
Most hospital staff have allegedly erected more rooms than required and rented them out to
common people. According to a survey done by a private research company, only 445 out of the 4915 families in the slum are hospital employees. The report showed that at least Tk 21 lakh is collected a month as rents from different blocks of the slum -
- Uttar Chowdhury Para Purbopara and Kustho Bastee, Dakkhin Chowdhury Para, Purbo Para, Staff Bastee and Dakkhin Para Bastee.
The slum dwellers said that they were not going to defy any government order of eviction but demanded rehabilitation within the area prior to the drive.
They said that it would be extremely difficult for them to leave the location as most of them work nearby.
"I am a ward boy at the IDH. How can I maintain my family with my meagre monthly salary of Tk. 4000 if I am compelled to leave this place for a distant location? Half the salary would be spent on commuting alone," said one dweller.
"All our children study in schools and colleges close to the Bastee. We even buried our near ones here," said Habibur Rahman, another slum dweller.
The slum people suggested that a small portion of land be used to build a multistoried apartment for them here.
"It won't cost much and we can pay for the apartments in monthly instalments," said Tamijuddin Master.