FROM PAGE 3

Yesterday, on the fifth and last day, joint teams of traffic police and mobile courts carried out drives in areas including New Market, Science Lab, Motijheel, Agargaon, and Mirpur-1, removing makeshift shops, roadside stalls, and illegal business extensions from footpaths and roads, confiscating goods, and dismantling temporary structures in several locations.

In Agargaon, removed vendors’ belongings from the footpath as they did not vacate occupied spaces despite repeated warnings, said locals. Many sidewalks were seen remaining comparatively clear amid ongoing enforcement.

Earlier, on March 23, DMP announced the citywide drive starting April 1, urging traders to remove their belongings in advance. The notice warned that violators could face fines, imprisonment, and confiscation of goods.

According to the notice, many businesses continue to encroach on walkways, using grills, ovens, chairs, and makeshift platforms, forcing pedestrians onto roads, causing public inconvenience and worsening traffic congestion.

Meanwhile, many hawkers say the sudden crackdown has left them struggling to survive.

Sumaiya, a footpath vendor at Mirpur-10, demanded rehabilitation before eviction. “My daughter is a college student, and my husband is ill and unable to earn. I support my family through this business, but the eviction drive destroyed my livelihood,” she said.

“For the past five days since my stall was removed, I have been selling goods by hand,” she said, expressing worries about paying rent and her daughter’s education expenses.

“If we are evicted without rehabilitation, where will we go?” she said.

On Thursday, Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Mohammad Shafiqul Islam told a programme that business activities will no longer be allowed on footpaths or roads to keep those free from encroachment.

He, however, assured that alternative arrangements would be made for small and floating traders.

A five-member representative will be formed for detailed consultations, while the city corporation plans to introduce a token system for vendors to prevent extortion, he also said.

“If anyone demands money after you receive a token, inform us—we are with you,” he added.

Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Abdus Salam said the government is planning for designated evening markets at around eight locations across the capital to accommodate vendors without disrupting traffic.