Staff Reporter :
Footpaths in the city are no longer available for the city dwellers to walk as most of those have been occupied by vendors and makeshift shop owners.
Vested quarters daily collect hefty amount of money from the owners of unauthorised shops even in the city’s busy commercial area Motijheel. A major portion of the money collected from them, is shared among leaders of political parties and members of law enforcing agencies, it is alleged.
As the collectors of illegal toll enjoy blessings of politicians and police, it is almost impossible to free the footpaths from the occupants despite repeated attempts, said one official of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).
The whole of Motijheel area has been turned into markets, where people can buy daily essentials including fish, vegetables, cosmetics and fruits. Ready made garments, shoes and crockery items are also available in footpath shops. With the Eid-ul-Fitr festival drawing near the crowd of buyers has made
it extremely difficult for the people to pass through the area on foot.
The amount of toll the vendors have to pay varies from Tk. 30 to Tk. 300 per day depending on size of the space used and items on sale, some vendors told this correspondent on request of not being identified. Those who sell fish and meat, have to pay Tk. 300 daily while vendors of ready made garments the rate if Tk. 200 per day. The cigarette vendors on the other hand have to pay Tk. 75 per day.
Motijheel has been divided into several sectors and each sector is in control of one person. Those who control the sectors, enjoy the blessings of the ruling party very much with the knowledge of law enforcing agencies, some shop owners said.
The toll is being raised using the names of among others Azad, Moqbul, Helal, Harun, Shafiq, Taju and Kashem.
When contacted some police men on condition of anonymity said that the money collected from the vendors, is normally shared among members of the ruling party and its front bodies. But the linemen who collect the toll money claimed that the money raised from footpath vendors is given also to the members of law enforcing agencies. At least 40 per cent of the money , it is alleged, is meant for the members of law enforcing agencies while the rest is shared among others including ruling party men.
Chief Executive Officer (CEC) of the Dhaka South City Corporation Ansar Ali Khan talking to The New Nation said as the manpower is limited, it is not possible for them to keep the footpaths free from illegal occupation. If the vendors are evicted from one area, they occupy another area in absence of proper protection measure, he said. DSCC he said, is contemplating to design footpath in a manner, so that those could not be used for running illegal trade in future. He frankly admitted that they could not free the footpaths from the illegal occupation of hawkers.
The illegal trade of vendors in Motijheel area has added woes to the people as the entire area witnesses serious traffic jams on any working day. Any body visiting Bangladesh, returns with the experience of Dhaka as a dirty city. This negative image of the capital city, said some members of business community, discourages foreign investment. City fathers, they said, should free Dhaka from traffic jams as well as footpath vendors so that people could move easily.
Footpaths in the city are no longer available for the city dwellers to walk as most of those have been occupied by vendors and makeshift shop owners.
Vested quarters daily collect hefty amount of money from the owners of unauthorised shops even in the city’s busy commercial area Motijheel. A major portion of the money collected from them, is shared among leaders of political parties and members of law enforcing agencies, it is alleged.
As the collectors of illegal toll enjoy blessings of politicians and police, it is almost impossible to free the footpaths from the occupants despite repeated attempts, said one official of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).
The whole of Motijheel area has been turned into markets, where people can buy daily essentials including fish, vegetables, cosmetics and fruits. Ready made garments, shoes and crockery items are also available in footpath shops. With the Eid-ul-Fitr festival drawing near the crowd of buyers has made
it extremely difficult for the people to pass through the area on foot.
The amount of toll the vendors have to pay varies from Tk. 30 to Tk. 300 per day depending on size of the space used and items on sale, some vendors told this correspondent on request of not being identified. Those who sell fish and meat, have to pay Tk. 300 daily while vendors of ready made garments the rate if Tk. 200 per day. The cigarette vendors on the other hand have to pay Tk. 75 per day.
Motijheel has been divided into several sectors and each sector is in control of one person. Those who control the sectors, enjoy the blessings of the ruling party very much with the knowledge of law enforcing agencies, some shop owners said.
The toll is being raised using the names of among others Azad, Moqbul, Helal, Harun, Shafiq, Taju and Kashem.
When contacted some police men on condition of anonymity said that the money collected from the vendors, is normally shared among members of the ruling party and its front bodies. But the linemen who collect the toll money claimed that the money raised from footpath vendors is given also to the members of law enforcing agencies. At least 40 per cent of the money , it is alleged, is meant for the members of law enforcing agencies while the rest is shared among others including ruling party men.
Chief Executive Officer (CEC) of the Dhaka South City Corporation Ansar Ali Khan talking to The New Nation said as the manpower is limited, it is not possible for them to keep the footpaths free from illegal occupation. If the vendors are evicted from one area, they occupy another area in absence of proper protection measure, he said. DSCC he said, is contemplating to design footpath in a manner, so that those could not be used for running illegal trade in future. He frankly admitted that they could not free the footpaths from the illegal occupation of hawkers.
The illegal trade of vendors in Motijheel area has added woes to the people as the entire area witnesses serious traffic jams on any working day. Any body visiting Bangladesh, returns with the experience of Dhaka as a dirty city. This negative image of the capital city, said some members of business community, discourages foreign investment. City fathers, they said, should free Dhaka from traffic jams as well as footpath vendors so that people could move easily.
