Intense traffic congestion feared
Before the capital’s shimmering shopping malls to turn buzzing with shoppers, its footpaths wore a busy look with small traders and hawkers occupying footpaths even two-days ahead of Ramadan.
It is a common scene in the capital that footpaths turn too much crowded occupied by small traders and hawkers during Ramadan, blocking the movement of pedestrians and causing traffic congestion.
Like the previous years, thousands of hawkers have started selling different types of relatively cheap clothes, namely shirts, pants, sarees, lungis, punjabis, salwar kameezes, jewellery, cosmetics and footwear.
A huge number of working class people usually gather around the street shops though it hampers normal movement of pedestrians and contribute to traffic congestion.
‘I know it creates problem for pedestrians. But I have to survive. The authority should have a plan to keep space for us [hawkers],’ said Rafiq who was selling clothes occupying footpath at Malibagh near Mauchak Market in the city.
He said that they were bribing police and some other local influential persons to keep their business undisturbed. ‘We’ll give the money to the authority but manage space for us.’
Sultan, another street vendor who is selling foodstuff at Mauchak area, said everybody had to pay the toll regularly
depending on the type and volume of the business.
‘The government can solve the problem easily. Instead of allowing the hawkers to occupy a place day after day, the Dhaka City Corporation or concerned authorities can earmark certain places for hawkers and small traders,’ Rafiqul Anwar a shopper at Navana Shopping Mall in the city’s Bailey Road.
The same crowd was seen at Firm Gate and New Market areas in the city where the number of street hawkers increased significantly.
‘The number of hawkers was limited even five days ago in New Market area. But now most of the footpaths of the area have been occupied by seasonal hawkers,’ said Ramjan Ali, a vendor.
-With UNB/New Age input
