Ruling Awami League leaders yesterday forced the Bangladesh Railway authorities to wrap up its eviction drive halfway in Rajshahi city's Baharampur area.

Some 2,000 illegal structures, shops and clubs were built on both the sides of Rajshahi-Chapainawabganj railway track in the area over the years, said railway officials, adding that some slum dwellers were even engaged in drug peddling.

Ahead of an annual inspection on December 7, the railway authorities yesterday began the drive against grabbing of its land, said Md Yunus Ali, divisional railway estate officer.

“We have demolished around 250 illegal houses and shops during the drive,” said Yunus, also an executive magistrate.

Soon after the drive had begun at 10:00am, the slum dwellers started agitating and complained to the AL leaders.

Following that, a group of AL leaders including Rajshahi city AL President Khairuzzaman Liton and General Secretary Dablu Sarker rushed to the spot and asked the authorities to postpone the drive.

The railway authorities then left the scene, said witnesses.

Afterwards, the AL leaders held a brief rally there. Liton was quoted as saying that the slum dwellers had been living on the railway land as they had no other places to live in.

Liton said he would not allow anybody to demolish the slum, said some of the locals who were present at the rally. He also told the dwellers that he would face the authorities if any initiative is taken against them, the locals added.

However, Yunus Ali declined that they had given up to the request.

“There are so many illegal structures that cannot be demolished in a day. We will continue the drive in the following days,” said Yunus.

Talking to The Daily Star, Khairuzzaman Liton, also former Rajshahi mayor, termed the eviction drive "inhumane".

He said he had requested the railway authorities to postpone the drive until the next city corporation election. “Where will the slum dwellers go in this winter?”

If he was re-elected the city mayor, he would then relocate the slum dwellers, said Liton.

Asked if he can arrange any such relocation process now being a ruling party leader, Liton said, “I can try.”