Dhaka, Aug 27 – A mobile court of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) was not given entry to Health Minister Zahid Maleque’s residence for inspection during an anti-mosquito drive.The mobile court team faced resistance when they went to inspect the minister’s house at Baridhara Park Road in the capital yesterday said Executive Magistrate of the Mobile Court Nahid Ahsan.
“The minister was not home at the time and the mobile court team had to leave after those on duty failed to reach him over phone,” Nahid said. Local Councillor of word no 18, Jakir Hossain Babul, was also present at the time.
After visiting three houses on Park Road at the beginning of the DNCC’s ‘10-day combing operation’, the mobile court wanted to enter the health minister’s house. But they were being prevented from entering despite the executive magistrate and councilor told and showed their identity to one of health minister’s personal officer, Faruque Ahmed.
After that, Faruque wanted time to connect and having permission from the health minister. After about ten minutes, Faruque informed the mobile court officials that he could not speak to the health minister. The officers, who went to the drive, went from there.
Farooq told reporters that the Health Minister was not at home and said, “In his absence I cannot allow anyone to enter. I tried to contact him for permission, but couldn’t.”
However, Executive Magistrate Nahid Hassan told reporters, “We did not come here by targeting the health minister’s home. We started the drive on Park Road and Embassy Road. While conducting the drive the minister’s house lay ahead of us but we couldn’t enter into the house.
Meanwhile, in DNCC’s yesterday drive, The team fined two home owners Tk 300,000 after it detected Aedes mosquito larvae in their homes at Baridhara.
The team found Aedes larvae in 248 houses and establishments during their third day of its ‘combing operation’.
Under the campaign, the DNCC teams visited10,460 houses and establishments in all 36 wards of the DNCC area.
Earlier, DNCC launched a ‘combing operation’ on Sunday to prevent breeding of Aedes mosquitoes in the wake of dengue outbreak. – Staff Reporter
