Health centre demolished at midnight: Govt doesn't want such incidents, says DNCC administrator

Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Shafiqul Islam Khan has said the government does not want incidents such as the vandalism and looting at the Radda MCH-FP Centre in Mirpur-1 in the capital at midnight. They do not want such incidents either. He instructed the police to quickly arrest whoever was involved in the incident. Legal action will be taken against those involved.

He said this in response to questions from journalists after inaugurating the ‘Nationwide Special Measles-Rubella Vaccination Campaign-2026’ at the TNT playground in Korail slum in the capital’s Mohakhali today, Saturday.

At around midnight last Thursday, the Radda MCH-FP Centre in Mirpur-1 was vandalised and looted. More than 200 masked people allegedly entered the centre with locally made weapons and held two security guards hostage. They later looted valuable equipment, medicines, vaccines, cash and other goods. The entire facility was then demolished using heavy machinery, including one concrete and three semi-concrete buildings.

The vandalism was allegedly carried out under the banner of an organisation called ‘Sammona Shopkeepers Cooperative Society Limited’. Nasrin Akhter, executive director of the Radda MCH-FP Centre, claimed that the incident caused damage worth more than Tk 10 million. She filed a case with Shah Ali police station over the incident.

There have also been allegations that two factions of the local BNP had been trying to take control of the land for a long time. One faction allegedly took control of the land on Thursday night under the name ‘Sammona Shopkeepers Cooperative Society Limited’.

In response to questions from journalists, Administrator Shafiqul Islam Khan said he went to the site yesterday after learning about the incident and saw the situation. However, it was not immediately possible to identify who had carried out the incident at night. He spoke to the deputy commissioner (DC) of police. The police told him that a case had been filed and an investigation was underway. They were trying to identify and arrest those involved by examining footage from various cameras.

He also said that if there is a legal dispute between any association and the MCH-FP Centre over the land, it must be settled through the courts. According to him, if there is any problem regarding the land or structure, it must be resolved through legal procedures.

Asked whether the vaccination programme could continue after the vandalism, the administrator said the vaccination programme had already started there. Those concerned would continue their activities. The city corporation would provide whatever assistance was required in this regard.

The administrator was also asked why the administration had failed to prevent the demolition even though it had continued for a long time. In response, he said there was no complete building there. There were structures resembling tin sheds. To his knowledge, the site consisted of a makeshift market and semi-concrete structures. There was no building or structure there. However, whoever carried out the incident, they did not support it. Legal action would be taken against those involved.