Vendors, hawkers and iftar shops have continued their businesses on the Dhaka city footpaths, causing immense sufferings to the pedestrians.
Business leaders at a recent meeting with law enforcers had pledged not to set up shops on the city footpaths during Ramadan.Dhaka Metropolitan Police officials had told New Age that they would take initiatives to stop encroachment on the footpaths to make traffic easy during Ramadan but no such step was taken yet.
The iftar shops have caused added troubles to the pedestrians, with the authorities turning a blind eye to the sufferings of the city dwellers.
The illegal occupants at Farmgate, Panthapath, Green Road, Banglamotor, New Market, Mouchak, Paltan, Gulistan and Motijheel have occupied all the footpaths without caring for permission of the authorities concerned.
Footpath business at Farmgate has been most rampant.
The scenario in the New Market area is the same. Hundreds of roadside shops from Science Laboratory crossing to Neelkhet intersection are hindering pedestrians’ movement.
Similar problems are seen in Banglamotor-Mouchak road. Sand, bricks and other construction materials of flyover have been kept on the main roads and the encroachment on the footpath has added to the sufferings of the city people.
Zakir Hossain, an employee of a private firm at Banglamotor, told New Age that the authorities were indifferent to illegal occupation of the footpaths, leaving no option for the pedestrians but walking with great risk on the main roads.
According to the two city corporations of Dhaka, there are about 389 kilometres of footpaths in the capital.
When contacted DMP joint commissioner (traffic) Mir Rezaul Alam told New Age on Friday, ‘It is not our duty to clear footpath… the operation division of DMP is responsible for it.’
DMP additional commissioner (operation) Abdul Jalil Mondol told New Age, ‘We sat with the business leaders before the Ramadan… they pledged not to occupy footpath. But if they do not keep their words, we will take action.’
Sources said the illegal occupiers maintain good link with some corrupt law enforcers, local goons and politically influential people to run their businesses freely.
A tea stall owner at Panthapath told New Age seeking anonymity that he used to provide Tk 100 to a local goon and Tk 1,000 per month to the police to run his stall.
‘Such thing may happen but we take administrative action if we find any specific involvement of police personnel,’ Abdul Jalil Mondol said.
-With New Age input
