Businessmen and employees at Khilgaon (Taltala) City Corporation Super Market in Dhaka have complained that they were facing serious trouble in running their businesses as the authorities have kept waste containers in front of their shops for the past few months.
Employees of these shops have complained that it was tough for them to attend their workplaces because of bad smell coming from the waste containers.
Mohammad Sharif Ninu, managing director of Dhaka Poultry House at the market, told New Age that about two to three months ago the Dhaka North City Corporation employees put the waste containers in front of the market’s kitchen shops.
The waste container has been kept directly in front of about 15 to 20 shops while waste and dirty water are spilling out of the containers onto the road and footpath.
‘How can we do our business here?’ asked
Ninu, adding, ‘the city corporation should dump the markets’ wastes at some places where there are no shops.’
He also alleged that the customers were avoiding his shop since the waste containers had been kept here.
Employees of Tawhid Enterprise said one of the shop’s employees had been absent for days as he could not work amidst such bad smell.
‘We are working here in an inhuman situation. The authorities must take action on this issue,’ said SM Saiful Islam, an employee from Sugandha Co-Operative Society.
Some businessmen have alleged that not only the wastes of this market but also wastes from adjacent houses were also dumped into the dustbins.
Leaders of Khilgaon (Taltala) City Corporation Super Market Traders’ Association submitted an application to the DNCC’s chief waste management officer Bipan Kumar Saha on May 25 this year.
In the application they urged the officer to remove the dustbins to the back of the kitchen market.
In the application they also provided the map where the dustbins could be transferred.
The DNCC chief waste management officer told New Age that he had sent his crew to remove the dustbins and set it at the proposed place.
‘But then some people came and protested at the decision of putting the dustbins at that place. So what can we do?’ he asked.
He urged the businessmen of the market to select a place for keeping the dustbins.
Meanwhile, the sufferers alleged that they also protested at the city corporation’s decision to put the waste containers in front of their shops but it did not work.
The association president, Humayun Kabir Azad, told New Age on Tuesday that there were about 850 shops at the market while this type of disturbance could hamper businesses of the market.
He admitted that city corporation workers had come to the market to remove the dustbins.
‘The place which we have selected is the backside of the market where a graveyard is situated. Our selected place is far from the graveyard’s main gate but unfortunately a landlord protested at it and the DNCC yielded to it,’ he added.
He said the city corporation authorities should put the dustbins in such a place where no one would be affected.
-With New Age input
