Owners of the illegally secured shops on roadsides have sprang up many folds under City Corporation and lack of updating rent has deprived the city authorities of their real value. Besides, such shops erected illegally around the city corporations’ bazaars, markets and shopping malls cause congestion and traffic jam. Meanwhile, nearly 3,500 such illegal shops have been identified in 21 markets out of 86 of the Dhaka South City Corporation. The shops, extensions of the permanently allocated shops, were built violating the original designs of the markets increasing discomfort of the customers and risks of disasters.
A syndicate is involved in allocating the shops to the shop owners charging them Tk 10-15 lakh each. The syndicate collects monthly Tk 70-80 lakh as rent of the shops but deposit a small portion of the money. The corruption in shop allocation resurfaced as the DSCC started an eviction drive against the illegal shops at the Fulbaria Super Market near Gulistan in last December. According to the revenue department officials, the DSCC allocated 1,224 shops at New Super Market but an additional 20 illegal shops were set up there. The DSCC allocated 84 shops at Nilkhet Roadside Market but three more storeys were illegally added to the building and 112 shops were added there. DSCC surveyors identified 450 illegal shops at Kaptan Bazar-1 and 447 shops at Kaptan Bazar-2.
DSCC gets only Tk 100 as rent for a shop while the space securer collects Tk 30,000 to Tk 50,000 in the Shahabagh area. In 1990, the Dhaka City Corporation allowed a small shop of about 28 square feet on one side of the passengers’ shed at 30 places in the capital city on condition that space for passengers’ waiting for transport will be maintained by them. The agreement stipulated that the store operators would keep the places suitable for passengers and protect those from encroachment by others. But in the course of time, the protectors have now become the predators.
We think, the city authorities should refix the shops’ rent by checking the current market price and knock down the illegal shops around the markets.
