DIPAN NANDY

The government has, for the first time, drawn up a guideline to regulate street vendors in the capital aimed at reclaiming footpaths and roadsides to ease pedestrian and traffic movement while also bringing discipline to the trade for the welfare of hawkers.

The City Corporation‑1 Branch of the Local Government Division published the “Dhaka City Hawker Management Policy‑2026” in a gazette notification on Wednesday. The document has been sent to Dhaka south and north city corporations, the Traffic Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, and RAJUK.

Under the policy, a nine‑member Central Hawker Management Committee and seven‑member regional committees will oversee implementation.

Hawkers must obtain licences from the central committee specifying location, business type, and stall size. Licences must be renewed annually, and the committee reserves the right to cancel registration for violations.

Only one licence will be permitted per family, and traders must operate solely at their allocated site. Spaces cannot be leased or rented, and vendors must carry their smart card or allocation document at all times.

Authorities will conduct area‑based surveys to select sites, ensuring at least five to six feet of pedestrian space. Access roads will be prioritised, while arterial roads will be avoided. Thirty percent of spaces in each site will be reserved for women and persons with disabilities.

Hawkers will be barred from operating within 30–40 feet of intersections, bus stops, or metro stations. If an area is declared “hawker‑free” in the public interest, that decision will take precedence. Authorities may take immediate action against illegal vendors or cancel registrations for violations.

The policy allows “Holiday Markets” at designated sites from 7:00am to 5:00pm on weekly and government holidays.

Additionally, the policy introduces “Night Markets” from 6:00pm to 10:00pm. Designated lanes that are crowded by day but deserted at night may be used for these markets, with areas such as Mirpur-10 Hope Market, Mirpur-1 intersection, Gulistan, Sadarghat, New Market, and the Baitul Mukarram area cited as examples. Markets are strictly prohibited on playgrounds, school fields, public spaces, places of worship, or graveyards.

While temporary umbrella coverings are allowed for protection from the elements, they must be removed daily after business hours, and no permanent structures are permitted.

Robiul Alam, deputy secretary of the City Corporation‑1 Branch, told The Daily Star: “We have sent the policy to the two city corporations. Soon, they will jointly hold meetings to determine the implementation timeline and the cost of hawker licences.”

He added that city corporations have already begun discussions with RAJUK on location selection.

The hawker issue has long plagued Dhaka, with vendors occupying footpaths and forcing pedestrians onto roads, heightening accident risks and worsening traffic congestion.

From April 1 to 5, the DMP and city corporations conducted joint drives to clear areas including Gulistan, New Market, Nilkhet, and Science Lab. While footpaths were temporarily freed, hawkers soon returned.

Meanwhile, under separate initiatives, DNCC has issued digital identity cards to 202 hawkers in Mirpur‑10, Mirpur‑1, and Mirpur‑2, while DSCC has provided such cards to around 100 hawkers.