In presence of a magistrate of the department and Mohammadpur police, three bulldozers started demolishing the structures situated by the Agargaon school and passport office building at 10:30 am.

During the three hour long drive, at least two hundred different types of structures, including rickshaw garages, roadside restaurants, groceries and different kinds of shops, were bulldozed into the ground.

"Those PWD lands were illegally grabbed and occupied for a long time. Besides, antisocial activities were taking place there. So we knocked those illegal structures down," said an engineer from the PWD, requesting anonymity. "There was a provision for 150 feet wide road over there, but the road was only 70 feet. The rest 80 feet was occupied by them and we recovered the space," he added.

The PWD sources said they did not face any obstacle during the drive. Apart from protecting the recovered land, the department has plans to widen the roads over there, the sources added. A number of PWD officials were present during the drive.

Witnesses said, the eviction drive caused a huge loss to the shop owners as well as to the poor traders, who have been conducting their small businesses by renting shops.

"They did not warn us before their drive. Many of us could not take out all of the things from the shops," said an angry shop owner.