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Shops without trade licences on rise in residential areas

Raihan Sabuktagin
Ruining the residential character of Mohammadpur, most of the house owners of Tajmahal Road are setting up shops on the ground floors of their houses.
It is alleged that most of the traders are opening big shops there without trade licences in absence of monitoring by the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC).
“Recently, a good number of shops have been opened in our road and some are under construction. These shops are causing lots of sufferings to us,” said Sarwar Jahan, a resident at Tajmahal Road. Customers of these shops park their vehicles occupying the road and creating traffic congestion, he said.
“Due to these shops, now it has become hard for children and women to cross the road," alleged Shipon Akhter, a schoolteacher and a house owner of the area.
For preventing commercialisation of the residential areas in the city DCC stopped providing trade licences in residential area since May 2007.
During a visit to the road this correspondent found about 50 under-construction shops on both sides of Tajmahal Road apart of existing shops of renowned companies.
Decoration of a new branch of 'Muslim Sweets' was going on just beside 'Writu Rang', a gift shop, launched last week.
This correspondent asked several traders about the trade licences. Some of them said they have licence while some others said getting the licence is under
process.
One of the owners of 'Writu Rang' admitted that they do not have trade licence. He said, “We are maintaining contacts with DCC for trade licence and the officials assured us of finding a solution. We do not have any intention to avoid DCC taxes."
A zonal official of DCC said DCC has not provided any trade licence for any shops at Tajmahal Road. Without commercial approval from Rajuk and National Housing Authority, DCC has not issued a single trade licence in a residential area after the ban.
“All these new shops on this road are operating their business illegally and dodging all kinds of DCC taxes as they do not have any account with DCC," he said.
Asked about taking action against such unauthorised traders, he said DCC would renew trade licence till September 30 and conduct spot inquiry afterwards.
Mohammad Alauddin, chief executive engineer of DCC, said the road inspector of the zone should report the issue but reality is that he did not.
He said local criminals often threaten the DCC inspectors asking them not to report suggesting action against the unauthorised activities. Most of the inspectors do not go for any action fearing attack by the criminals on their families.
A source at DCC said thousands of traders are operating business without trade licences not only at Tajmahal Road but also in other residential areas.