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Contacted, Wahidul Alam alias Wahid Master, president of the Patenga Beach Shop Owner Association, refuted the allegations of extorting shop owners.

“We are members of this association. So, we are saving money jointly for ourselves and this is not extorting,” he claimed.

Hawkers Association convener, Nur Mohammed alias Nur Boli claimed they don’t take any money from their members. Nur Mohammed claimed that all of them were real shop owners of this beach area before being evicted during the renovation.

Saleh Ahmed, a local ward councilor and member of the beach management committee, admitted they failed to save the beach from encroachment.

“Syndicates are managing everything using bribes. We are helpless,” he added.

Israfil Mazumder, in charge and inspector of the tourist police (Patenga Zone), told this newspaper that influential people built these structures using the power of politics.

“We have evicted these illegal structures many times. But by abusing political power, the occupiers rebuilt these structures,” he added.

He said they will evict these structures again after the situation is normal.