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The “Chemist and Druggist Association” has called a strike, closing all pharmacies in Brahmanbaria town indefinitely to protest the decision to evict what it says is a legal commercial establishment allocated a location at the Brahmanbaria Government Women's College Market after declaring it illegal.
Traders in the district town launched the programme from 6 am on Monday, closing many drug stores. As a result, patients and their relatives faced extreme difficulties.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the Chemist and Druggist Association and pharmacists led a protest march around 10am that proceeded along various streets in protest against the eviction decision. Later, they held a sit-in demonstration in front of the Government Women's College Market.
Mohammad Sanaul Haque Bhuiyan, senior vice president of the Brahmanbaria District Chemist and Druggist Association, Noor Alam Siddiqui, president of the organisation’s municipal branch, and businessmen Mohammad Ziaul Haque and Khokon Khan spoke at the demonstration.
Sanaul said that since 1983, 14 shops at Brahmanbaria Women's College Market have been legally rented after paying a security deposit of Tk 28,000. The traders have been paying rent regularly. However, attempts are being made to evict the recently allotted shops by labelling them illegal. He said these efforts are inhumane and illegal.
The traders had demanded six months to relocate their shops as per the previous agreement, but he alleged that the college authorities are not taking the matter into consideration.
Under the circumstances, Sanaul said that the eviction drive should be stopped immediately and a fair solution should be found.
"This programme will continue until a solution is found,” he said.
Brahmanbaria town has more than 100 hospitals and diagnostic centres, including the District Sadar Hospital, where thousands of patients seek treatment every day. Since all pharmacies in the city have been closed since morning, patients are unable to buy medicines.
Monir Mia, the son of Rafiq Mia of Shantamora village in Bijoynagar Upazila, said that he is facing difficulties due to the strike.
He said, “I brought my father to the hospital to see the doctor. After the doctor saw us, he prescribed my father seven injections. But when I came to get the injections, I found the pharmacy was closed.”
Monir said, “Protests happen in all countries across the world, but only in Bangladesh do they keep pharmacies closed.”
Rahima Begum, who came to the Sadar Hospital from Sultanpur in Sadar Upazila, said: “I went to see a doctor to buy emergency medicines and found the pharmacy closed. I am suffering.”
Brahmanbaria Chemist and Druggist Association Municipal Branch President Noor Alam said, “Since 1983, we have rented the shops around Brahmanbaria Women’s College. We have been paying rent regularly. Yet, they are trying to evict us by calling us illegal.”
He said, “We have been protesting for several days. Since we failed to get a response, all the drug stores in Brahmanbaria town have been declared closed indefinitely. We will also conduct a sit-in demonstration.”
Meanwhile, female students have been protesting and holding sit-in programmes for several days, demanding the demolition of the market shops in front of Brahmanbaria Government Women's College and the construction of a new college gate.
College Principal Professor Abul Hannan Khandaker said, "The students' demands are not unreasonable. Letters have been received from the education and establishment departments in support of their demands several times.
"An allocation was also made for the college's boundary wall and gate. But since it was not implemented, the money allocated was returned. Now the allocation has been sent again."
He said that the college premises and the shops in front of it are on land owned by the Ministry of Public Administration, and leases on it cannot continue without the government's approval.
"We are trying to build a boundary wall and gate now. The students have organised the programme to demand that the allocation not go back unused. Shops and businesses cannot be located on the premises of educational institutions."