Staff Reporter :
A clash took place between hawkers and police in Paltan area on Sunday as Dhaka South City Corporation with the help of Dhaka Metropolitan Police conducted eviction drives against the footpath hawkers in Gulistan, Motijheel and Paltan areas.
DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon has stressed that the eviction drive will continue for the sake of general people. On the other hand, the hawkers have threatened to siege the Nagar Bhaban today (Monday) morning.
“For the sake of the people DSCC will make the pavements free from hawkers. The eviction drive will continue until the goal obtained,” the mayor said while addressing a press briefing at Nagar Bhaban yesterday afternoon.
The DSCC took the decision on January 11 in a meeting that hawkers will not be allowed to sit in pavements before evening in working days. It also decided that the holiday markets will be more effective and attractive as the hawkers can sale their goods there. According to the meeting, those decisions were set to implement from yesterday (Sunday).
Earlier on Saturday, one of the hawkers’ organisations, Bangladesh Hawkers Union, angrily reacted on the decision. The organisation announced siege programme of the Nagar Bhaban on Sunday morning. But they have
not been seen to observe the programme. On Sunday morning, some hawkers tried to sit in Gulistan footpaths. But they left the place with their goods seeing presence of a large number of police.
Police have been seen on alert in Gulistan area since morning. The DSCC Executive Magistrate, Khan Mohammad Nazmus Shoyeb, led the eviction drive at 2:00pm from Ramna, Paltan, Baitul Mukarram and Matijheel areas.
Some of the hawkers attacked the DSCC officials in Purana Paltan intersection during the drive. The hawkers also threw stones to vehicles. Later, the hawkers instead of throwing stones took shelter in different buildings in the area after police started taking action. The hawkers then shouted slogans against the eviction drive.
The DSCC mayor told the press briefing that the eviction programme will not be stopped. “We want the hawkers will sell their goods in holiday markets and in the evenings of every working days,” he said.
Replying a question the mayor said, “It is not true that the people do not buy things from the pavements after evening. The hawkers sell their goods until deep night as the people use the pavements long time after evening.”
As the new move of recovering the pavements in Gulistan and Matijheel area, the police have been seen alert in those areas with water cannon and other vehicles. DSCC officials were also there with ambulance.
Apart from this, some hawkers have been seen standing in Gulistan pavement without their goods in sad appearances.
“I’m bearing my family needs by operating a temporary shop in the pavement for 12 years. Now the city corporation is evicting us. How I will provide my family needs every day? Without arranging an alternative way we can’t accept this decision. We will never leave the place,” said Shipon, a hawker from Gulistan area.
