Reza Mahmud :
The Dhaka South City Corporation’s campaign to set up holiday markets in five selected open places in the city is getting flop as the corporation fails to make them attractive to the customers.
Besides, the street vendors are also reluctant to sit in those holiday markets as they draw a very few number of customers there. In addition, they alleged that the so called linemen belonging to the ruling party allotted spaces of those open markets in exchange of money.
“We have no access in holiday markets. The so called linemen control the allotment of the spaces to the hawkers. They allotted the spaces to the ruling party supporters or to those who have given them money. So, we are still selling our goods on the footpaths,” said Abdur Razzak, one of the street vendors in front of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.
On January 11, the DSCC announced that the pavements of Motijheel, Gulistan, Ramna, Baitul Mukarram, Paltan and their adjacent areas will be free from hawkers during working hours.
They (vendors) could sit there after the office hours in the evening. But the street vendors have protested the decision, saying it is illogical and inhuman.
Sources said DSCC is trying to make the holiday markets as an alternative to pavements. It has sent a list of 19 open places in the city to the Prime Minister’s Office to finalise the holiday markets. However, the PMO has finalsied five places. They are in front of Motijheel Ideal School, Dilkusha, Baitul Mukarram (west side’s link road), Segunbagicha (near Shilpa Kala Academy) and Nababpur Road.
On spot visit on Friday and Saturday, this correspondent found that a few number of street vendors have opened their temporary shops there. The hawkers say they are not happy with the sells due to shortage of customers. The most of the markets were found near to empty on Saturday, excluding Baitul Mukarram’s link road.
Security persons at Baitul Mukarram Market said hawkers sit here in this link road not only in holidays but almost everyday. “Though it is a holiday market, the reality is that the hawkers sit here everyday,” he said, preferring anonymity.
DSCC official sources said the hawkers can sit those five places on every Friday, Saturday and other public vacation days. They said, if the hawkers sit regularly in the holiday markets then the customers will be regular in use to buy their necessaries from there. But the hawkers said the idea have not proved success so far.
The hawkers alleged that some influential persons are giving allotments to the hawkers in exchange of money. If any hawkers fail to give certain amount of money as per their demand, he would not get any chance to sit in the holiday markets.
“The DSCC has not given us allotment but asked to go and sit in those markets in every vacation days. But the influential persons are demanding money to sit there. On the other hand, there are very few customers we found. We failed to earn sufficient profit to support our family as well as the linemen,” said Abdur Rashid, a street vendor in Gulistan area.
When contacted DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon told The New Nation, “We have taken the initiatives of holiday markets to help the people who regularly use the streets and the pavements. We have given the hawkers spaces to sell their goods in holiday markets. The Idea of Holiday Markets must to be survived.”
Meanwhile, pedestrians, and drivers and other staffs of different public transport services at Gulistan expressing their anxiety told this correspondent that the hawkers may return to the footpath in large scale anytime. As a result, the entire Gulistan area may return to its previous scenario.
The Dhaka South City Corporation’s campaign to set up holiday markets in five selected open places in the city is getting flop as the corporation fails to make them attractive to the customers.
Besides, the street vendors are also reluctant to sit in those holiday markets as they draw a very few number of customers there. In addition, they alleged that the so called linemen belonging to the ruling party allotted spaces of those open markets in exchange of money.
“We have no access in holiday markets. The so called linemen control the allotment of the spaces to the hawkers. They allotted the spaces to the ruling party supporters or to those who have given them money. So, we are still selling our goods on the footpaths,” said Abdur Razzak, one of the street vendors in front of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.
On January 11, the DSCC announced that the pavements of Motijheel, Gulistan, Ramna, Baitul Mukarram, Paltan and their adjacent areas will be free from hawkers during working hours.
They (vendors) could sit there after the office hours in the evening. But the street vendors have protested the decision, saying it is illogical and inhuman.
Sources said DSCC is trying to make the holiday markets as an alternative to pavements. It has sent a list of 19 open places in the city to the Prime Minister’s Office to finalise the holiday markets. However, the PMO has finalsied five places. They are in front of Motijheel Ideal School, Dilkusha, Baitul Mukarram (west side’s link road), Segunbagicha (near Shilpa Kala Academy) and Nababpur Road.
On spot visit on Friday and Saturday, this correspondent found that a few number of street vendors have opened their temporary shops there. The hawkers say they are not happy with the sells due to shortage of customers. The most of the markets were found near to empty on Saturday, excluding Baitul Mukarram’s link road.
Security persons at Baitul Mukarram Market said hawkers sit here in this link road not only in holidays but almost everyday. “Though it is a holiday market, the reality is that the hawkers sit here everyday,” he said, preferring anonymity.
DSCC official sources said the hawkers can sit those five places on every Friday, Saturday and other public vacation days. They said, if the hawkers sit regularly in the holiday markets then the customers will be regular in use to buy their necessaries from there. But the hawkers said the idea have not proved success so far.
The hawkers alleged that some influential persons are giving allotments to the hawkers in exchange of money. If any hawkers fail to give certain amount of money as per their demand, he would not get any chance to sit in the holiday markets.
“The DSCC has not given us allotment but asked to go and sit in those markets in every vacation days. But the influential persons are demanding money to sit there. On the other hand, there are very few customers we found. We failed to earn sufficient profit to support our family as well as the linemen,” said Abdur Rashid, a street vendor in Gulistan area.
When contacted DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon told The New Nation, “We have taken the initiatives of holiday markets to help the people who regularly use the streets and the pavements. We have given the hawkers spaces to sell their goods in holiday markets. The Idea of Holiday Markets must to be survived.”
Meanwhile, pedestrians, and drivers and other staffs of different public transport services at Gulistan expressing their anxiety told this correspondent that the hawkers may return to the footpath in large scale anytime. As a result, the entire Gulistan area may return to its previous scenario.
