Hawkers Take Over Roads and Footpaths Outside Uttara Forcing Pedestrians into Traffic and Putting Lives at Risk

The road and footpaths in front of Rajuk Uttara Model College in Sector 6 of Azampur, Uttara, Dhaka, have been fully taken over by hawkers. The footpaths are crowded with shops selling betel leaf, cigarettes, tea, vegetables and fruits.

The footpath from the east side of the Azampur Government Primary School field to the road in front of Rajuk Uttara Model College is now occupied by hawkers. They are not only occupying the footpaths but also taking up part of the main road from morning to evening.

The other part of the road is filled with rows of vehicles, causing frequent traffic jams. As a result, travelling on the road during office hours has become very difficult.

Pedestrians say the situation has become a “hide-and-seek game.” Hawkers are removed in the morning but return and set up their shops again in the afternoon. They said the city corporation spends money and time to free the footpaths through drives, but the footpaths are occupied again in the afternoon with the help of some dishonest people.

Pedestrians want an end to this problem.

A visit to the area found the Samabaya Market directly opposite Rajuk College. The market is better known to local people as BDR Market. It sells fish, meat, vegetables and other daily necessities at reasonable prices.

However, hawkers are doing busy business by illegally occupying the road and footpaths in front of the market. This is causing serious losses to the legal and regular traders of BDR Market.

The market traders said customers can now buy vegetables easily from the roadside hawkers without entering the main market. As a result, there are very few customers inside the market, causing serious financial losses to permanent traders.

Mohammad Mirajul Islam, president of the Samabaya Kacha Bazar, expressed his anger over the situation.

He said, “Why should they occupy the footpath and do business when there is such a large and designated market here? This is having a major negative impact on the traders in our market.”

Calling for an immediate solution, he said, “I urge the local administration to take action as soon as possible to remove those occupying the footpath and protect ordinary traders like us.”