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Unity helps them thrive day in and day out

But passengers helpless and irritated as hawkers reign city buses

IMRUL HASAN
For Salma, it is the question of survival - but for bus passengers who are compelled to buy candies from the nine-year-old girl, it is irritating.
The way Salma sells candies in running buses is unique. She boards a bus and distributes two lozenges among each passenger. Then she requests them to buy the candies telling a sad story of poverty. She often touches the hands of the passengers, many of whom become annoyed but are compelled to buy candies from her.
Like Salma, hundreds of hawkers sell lozenges, ice cream, herbal medicine, tooth powder, peanut, fruits and books to the passengers of city buses. Bus conductors and
helpers seldom prevent them from doing their business in running buses.
Beggars also annoy passengers whenever the buses stop at a place. They either board the buses or put their hands through window.
"I feel uneasy while going to Farmgate from Gulistan every day because beggars and hawkers disturb the passengers and insist on buying their items," said Sonia Haider, an employee of a private company at Farmgate.
Nurul Islam, a student of Tejgaon College, said sometimes passengers ask them to get down but they keep on trying to sell their items.
Passengers alleged that the bus staff are responsible for this practice. But drivers, conductors and helpers say they are
helpless and cannot bar them from doing it.
"These hawkers are united, that is why we cannot stop this practice. If we try to stop their business, they will attack us," said Moti Mia, a bus conductor. "They have formed an association to run their business without any hindrance."
Rabiul Alam, a hawker who sells "Sripurer bori", a herbal medicine, and tooth powder in the running buses, said, "Drivers or conductors cannot stop our business. If any one says anything to us, we take strong action against him."
A driver said sometimes the hawkers drag bus drivers and conductors to their office and beat them up. "Even they threaten to kill us," he said.
Sources said the hawkers' association has nearly seven
lakh members, several hundred of them run their business in buses. "They are very strong in number. No one can tell them anything about disturbing the bus passengers," said a bus helper.
"We are poor people. We have to survive selling books or other items. So they [bus conductors and helpers] must give us chance to sell our items," said Md Kabir Uddin who has been selling books for the last 10 years.
"We are not stealing anything or mugging passengers. This is our business. We have rights to do this," said Tahidur Rahman, a peanut seller. "Sometimes police harass us, but we manage them giving bribes," he said.