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Karwan crisis

CITY CORRESPONDENT
Roads at Karwan Bazar, a major thoroughfare of the city, have become extremely inconvenient for commuters since a large part of these roads were illegally occupied and in very bad shape.
The main road of Karwan Bazar that stretches between Karwan Bazar Kitchen Market and Karwan Bazar Masjid Market has a width of 150 feet. But, the sellers from the surrounding markets expanded their business space, which left the road much narrower. In some places, they can be seen to be seated almost in the middle of the road with their commodities.
Moreover, the road causes a bone-shattering ride since its surface in most places is potholed and in some cases missing altogether.
"Maybe large vehicles like buses or trucks that are plied through these roads have caused the bad surface," commented Hamidul Haque, who works at a private organisation in Karwan Bazar.
A huge pile of garbage can permanently be seen dumped at the north end of this road. Mostly this is the organic waste of the vegetables and fruits that are sold in the surrounding markets. Though most other forms of garbage are also dumped there.
"Everyday huge trucks full of vegetable or fruits are brought in the area that dump straw, papers, or rotten vegetables on the road," noted an official of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC).
However, the DCC authorities noted they try to clean up the garbage on every alternate day using huge trailers with the sides covered. "We try our best
but lack the necessary resources to keep the roads clean," said Mohammed Abul Hasnat, Executive Engineer of Zone 6, DCC.
There is a legal warehouse permitted by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (RAJUK) at the ground floor of the DCC zonal office at Karwan Bazar. But another illegal makeshift warehouse (aarat) has been made adjacent to the DCC office that blocks entirely the road leading eastward from the front of the Water and Sewage Authority (WASA) office. The road is of 30 feet width that connects the eastern area of Karwan Bazar with the main road.
It is the local musclemen having connections to every political party, who built the warehouse, said sources inside DCC.
Since the owners of the warehouses basically lease their spaces to sellers, they try to occupy as much space as they can, sources added.
There was a plan to develop Karwan Bazar as a commercial area during the ruling period of Jatiya Party, said a DCC official. The kitchen market and warehouse were supposed to be shifted to the other side of Tongi Diversion Road, he added. However, it has not happened as yet and the area became totally messed up.
“The area of Karwan Bazar was developed by RAJUK and handed over to DCC," noted executive engineer Abul Hasnat. "Now the DCC has no other option but to continue as things are going now," he added. He said kitchen markets and warehouses can not be shifted unless there is a proper place with proper road communication. However, he noted the roads will be carpeted very soon.