Staff Reporter, Chattogram: For over 40 years, twelve businessmen, including seven freedom fighters, have been operating businesses at the Almas Cinema and Dinar Cinema premises on Chatteshwari Road, owned by the Bangladesh Freedom Fighters Welfare Trust. However, a week ago, they were verbally asked to vacate the premises without any prior notice. This sudden decision has left the businessmen in a state of distress.
The businessmen claim, “We have been conducting business here for a long time. We are not asking for any compensation. We will vacate the shops, but we need time to relocate. Where can we go all of a sudden? Where will we take all our business materials and goods? Evicting us in this manner without notice is highly unfair and unacceptable. If we are forcibly evicted like this, we will face tremendous losses.”
One of the affected businessmen, Nur Hossain, said, “I have been running my business here for 35 years. I have been regularly paying the rent. Not only I, but all eleven other businessmen, have no rent arrears. Evicting us without notice is a severe injustice. We need time to make arrangements to leave.”
When approached for comments, Azizul Islam, Manager of the Chattogram Zone of the Bangladesh Freedom Fighters Welfare Trust, and Faizur Rahman, Director, declined to provide any statement on the matter.
