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Pedestrians walk freely along a footpath at Mirpur-10 roundabout in the capital on Saturday, following the recent eviction of hawkers and makeshift shops from the area. - KAMRUL ISLAM RATAN
Relief is gradually returning to Mirpur-10 as a Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) eviction drive has cleared footpaths and parts of the roads of illegal shops and makeshift structures, allowing pedestrians to walk more freely and vehicles to move with less congestion.
visit to Mirpur-10 and its surrounding areas, including Hope Market, found several sections of the road and footpaths lying vacant after the eviction drive on Saturday. Previously, pedestrians often had to walk on the main road as shops, temporary structures and goods occupied the footpaths and parts of the roadway.
Mouri, a resident of Mirpur-10, said that, “Earlier, there was virtually no scope for walking on the footpaths. Shops and goods forced us to walk on the main road, which was also partially occupied. Now that the hawkers are gone and the road and footpaths are clear, it feels much more comfortable.”
Another resident, Amirul Islam, said the authorities must ensure that the footpaths are not occupied again.
Dr Jillur Hasan Rony, a resident of the area, said, “I can’t remember when I last walked on a footpath over the past 15 years.
I’ve never seen it this clear and open. It wasn’t just the footpaths – even three lanes of the road were used to be occupied by makeshift markets. Now, there’s nothing. Simply outstanding!”
DNCC to continue eviction drives
DNCC Administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan Milton said that the corporation would continue eviction drives in phases to reclaim footpaths occupied by shops and makeshift structures.
“Some unscrupulous businessmen and criminals posing as hawkers have occupied various footpaths by putting up stalls, platforms and makeshift structures, disrupting the normal movement of our city residents,” he said.
He said that the DNCC had taken the initiative to reclaim the footpaths with the cooperation of local residents.
“Mirpur-10 is one of the areas where footpaths were occupied on a large scale. With the cooperation of the people and by the grace of Allah, I have been able to reclaim the footpath there,” he said.
Responding to concerns over whether the initiative would be sustained, Shafiqul Islam Khan said that the DNCC would continue its operations as long as attempts were made to reoccupy the footpaths.
“After the eviction drive, I have formed a monitoring team jointly with the local people, the city corporation and the police in that area,” he said.
According to him, the team monitors the footpaths throughout the day and conducts announcements over loudspeakers to prevent anyone from setting up shops there.
The DNCC has said that if any shop or structure is found occupying a cleared footpath, the relevant goods and equipment will be seized and legal action will be taken against those responsible.
Alternative space offered before eviction
The DNCC had earlier taken an initiative to relocate the hawkers to a designated area before launching the recent eviction drive.
Around five months ago, DNCC Administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan Milton held a meeting with local hawkers at Mukul Fouz Field in Mirpur-10.
At the meeting, the DNCC administrator informed the hawkers that a designated place had been allocated for them to conduct their businesses. He urged them to shift there and refrain from occupying the main roads and footpaths.
The hawkers, however, said that they had been doing business in the area for around 25 years and wanted to continue their businesses there.
The proposal to relocate them to the designated area was therefore not accepted by the hawkers, according to people familiar with the meeting.
The DNCC's position was that an alternative arrangement had been proposed before the eviction drive, while the hawkers wanted to remain at their existing locations.
Tensions during eviction
Following the earlier discussions, tensions erupted during the recent eviction drive in Mirpur when a section of hawkers resisted the operation. Government property was vandalised and several vehicles were set on fire during the incident.
Following the incidents, the DNCC administrator said, “I will free the footpaths for the people of Dhaka. They will sit on the footpaths over my dead body if they want to.”
He also addressed questions raised about political influence over footpath occupations.
“Many people ask whether BNP collects extortion money from the footpaths and who is carrying out the eviction. The current government is doing it. I myself am a worker of BNP,” he said.
Locals want sustained monitoring
Local residents said that they now expect the DNCC to maintain the cleared areas through regular monitoring rather than relying only on periodic eviction drives.
Palash, a local businessman, said that hawkers should conduct their businesses from designated areas. He also said that hawkers affected the businesses of established shopkeepers.
“Because of the hawkers, our sales have declined. Many shopkeepers are also forced to display goods on the footpath in front of their shops,” he said.