Landlord drives family out of home over rent

A landlord in port city's Lalkhan Bazar has allegedly drove a family out from their home on Thursday night for failing to pay rent, forcing them to pass the night on the street. The incident took place at Dubai Colony on High Level Road.

It came into the public's attention after a photo of the family sitting on the footpath of Wasa Intersection went viral on social media, prompting police to help the family go back to their flat yesterday.

Sri Dham, a member of the family, told The Daily Star that his elder brother owed landlord Md Mostafa three months of rent. Formerly a contracted worker at Chattogram Wasa, his brother had lost his job during the first "lockdown" last year.

"We had been struggling already before the current lockdown hit. We were barely eking out a living and couldn't pay the rent. The landlord kept pressuring us," he said.

On Thursday evening, Mostafa knocked at the family's door and asked them to vacate, Sri Dham said. Once they were out, he locked up the home and went away. "We had no option but to spend the night on street. Then police came to our aid yesterday and helped us enter our home."

Abu Bakar Siddique, additional deputy commissioner of CMP, said, "It is really disheartening to see a landlord driving the family out over rent at a time like this. Once we heard the news, a team was dispatched to the spot to help the family. We told the landlord that police will take responsibility if the family can't pay the house rent."

"During this pandemic, we must stand by each other," he added. Despite repeated attempts, Mostafa could not be contacted for comments.