Tangail Deputy Commissioner Bashir Uddin Ahmed, after a meeting with local leaders of political parties, woman rights activists, officials, journalists, clerics and representatives of the elite, yesterday ordered the 'brothel eviction committee' to stop their move to evict inmates of the 150 year-old Kandupara brothel in the town.

The meeting held at DC's confrence room was attended by, among others, Tangail district Awami League president Shamsur Rahman Khan Shajahan, BNP secretary Moniruzzaman Bulbul, Krishak Sramik Janata League

(KSJL) convener Abu Mohammad Enayet Karim, Jamaat leader Dr Abdul Hamid, brothel eviction committee convener and Tangail municipal chairman Jamilur Rahman Miron, Tangail Press Club president Mirza Abdul Momen, Tangail Chamber of Commarce secretary Alamgir Khan Menu, Nagorik Mancha leader Mir Mehidi, women's leader Rabeya Anwar, sex workers' leader Momotaz Begum, and Police Superindent Morshed Alam.

All of them spoke against eviction of sex workers without their rehabilitation.

The DC then ordered the eviction committee convener to stop their

move.

He also told the meeting that he would take steps for rehabilitation of the sex workers and hold another meeting soon to settle the rehabilitation issue.

Meanwhile, some unidentified goons beat Nagorik Mancha member secretary Mir Mehidi in Club Road area in the town yesterday when he was returning home after attenting the meeting at DC's office.

He was undergoing treatment at Tangail General Hospital under police guard.

Meantime, the Krishak Sramik Janata League (KSJL) held a rally at Shaheed Minar premises in the town yesterday where its leaders

said their party is not involved with the brothel eviction move.

With district KSJL convener Abu Mohammad Enayet Karim in the chair, the meeting was addressed by, among others, its leaders Habibur Rahman Khoka Bir Protik, Principal Shamsul Huda, Jamilur Rahman Miron, Shamim-al-Mansoor Siddiqui Azad and Hassan Reza.

On Saturday, at least 14 people were injured in clashes when members and supporters of the eviction committee attacked a rally of Nagorik Mancha which is opposing the eviction without rehabilitation of the sex workers.