Dibrugarh: A tense standoff gripped Dibrugarh’s Loharpatty area on Thursday as family members and locals launched a fast unto death, protesting the painfully slow demolition of an illegal four-storey building where 52-year-old Salma Begum died last month.
Begum was fatally struck by falling construction materials on November 19 while washing utensils in her courtyard, an incident that prompted action against the unauthorised structure.
The Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation (DMC) initiated the demolition of the structurally perilous RCC building, erected by Mohd Yunus Khan in violation of the Assam Unified Building Construction (Regulation) Bye-Laws 2022, on Wednesday.
However, by Thursday, only about 20 percent of the work had been completed. This lackadaisical pace, coupled with the presence of only two workers at the site, inflamed the community and triggered the immediate protest.
The protesters also criticised the complete absence of senior political and administrative figures.
The Mayor, Deputy Mayor, DMC Commissioner, and local MLA and Power Minister Prasanta Phukan had reportedly not visited the site despite the tense situation. Police and CRPF personnel continue to guard the location.
A local said, “They are showing a complete lack of concern. Only two workers have been here for hours, and none of the senior officials—not the Mayor nor the MLA—have bothered to show up. This is why we are fasting. We want justice for Salma Begum and demand the immediate arrest of the building owner, Yunus Khan. It is outrageous that he secured bail despite the FIR filed by the family.”
“We want justice. If the building was illegal, the administration should demolish the entire structure. But the DMC has engaged only a few workers who are working slowly and taking too much time to bring it down. My mother died because of this illegal building—then why is the district administration not treating this as a priority?” said the son of deceased Salma Begum.
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