Staff Reporter :
The eviction drive to keep city’s roads and footpaths clean for pedestrians is going to be conducted from today (Monday) amid questions raised by different
quarters why the eviction drive ahead of the month of Ramzan. Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader at a meeting recently said that the eviction drives would start from June 1 (Monday) under ‘Clean Dhaka Green Dhaka’ project in South Gulistan area and from July 1 in North Farmgate area.
“We are expecting that after the completion of eviction drive, traffic congestion in the capital will be lessened,” he said.
Earlier, both the mayors of Dhaka South City Corporations (DSCC) Syed Khokon and Dhaka North City Corporation Annisul Huq urged the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges to take stern action to clear the roads and footpaths of the city from illegal occupation. “The hawkers must be evicted from the footpaths gradually after shifting them to other places,” the minister said, adding illegal billboards would also be removed from the capital. Initially the drives will be carried out at Gulistan on June 1 and at Farmgate on July 1. He said that leaders of the ruling Awami League and influential businessmen might be involved in the drives. “We will first talk to them and then launch the drive across the city,” he said. “We would sit with the authorities of Rajuk, Local Government Division, Local Government Engineering Department, Roads and Highways Department and Bangladesh Railway in a bid to recover the government land from illegal occupiers,” Obaidul said. Although the city dwellers want to see a clean, green and traffic congestion free capital Dhaka, they raised question about the government move to evict the hawkers before the holy month of Ramzan.
They said as the street selling get momentum during the month benefiting the small shop keepers as well as the buyers of lower income group, the government should not evict them at the moment. Meanwhile, thousands of hawkers on Sunday staged a demonstration and took out procession in the city against the government’s eviction decision from the footpaths and roads.Under the banner of Bangladesh Hawkers Union, thousands of hawkers gathered in front of the National Press Club and staged demonstration.They urged the government not to evict them before their rehabilitation and the holy Ramzan.
They also urged the two newly elected mayors not to evict them before their proper rehabilitation.CPB leader Majurul Ahsan Khan, addressing the demonstration, urged the government to rehabilitate the hawkers first and then go for eviction.
“We will not tolerate repression and oppression on hawkers. We are calling upon the government to stop its eviction drive,” he said.
The eviction drive to keep city’s roads and footpaths clean for pedestrians is going to be conducted from today (Monday) amid questions raised by different
quarters why the eviction drive ahead of the month of Ramzan. Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader at a meeting recently said that the eviction drives would start from June 1 (Monday) under ‘Clean Dhaka Green Dhaka’ project in South Gulistan area and from July 1 in North Farmgate area.
“We are expecting that after the completion of eviction drive, traffic congestion in the capital will be lessened,” he said.
Earlier, both the mayors of Dhaka South City Corporations (DSCC) Syed Khokon and Dhaka North City Corporation Annisul Huq urged the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges to take stern action to clear the roads and footpaths of the city from illegal occupation. “The hawkers must be evicted from the footpaths gradually after shifting them to other places,” the minister said, adding illegal billboards would also be removed from the capital. Initially the drives will be carried out at Gulistan on June 1 and at Farmgate on July 1. He said that leaders of the ruling Awami League and influential businessmen might be involved in the drives. “We will first talk to them and then launch the drive across the city,” he said. “We would sit with the authorities of Rajuk, Local Government Division, Local Government Engineering Department, Roads and Highways Department and Bangladesh Railway in a bid to recover the government land from illegal occupiers,” Obaidul said. Although the city dwellers want to see a clean, green and traffic congestion free capital Dhaka, they raised question about the government move to evict the hawkers before the holy month of Ramzan.
They said as the street selling get momentum during the month benefiting the small shop keepers as well as the buyers of lower income group, the government should not evict them at the moment. Meanwhile, thousands of hawkers on Sunday staged a demonstration and took out procession in the city against the government’s eviction decision from the footpaths and roads.Under the banner of Bangladesh Hawkers Union, thousands of hawkers gathered in front of the National Press Club and staged demonstration.They urged the government not to evict them before their rehabilitation and the holy Ramzan.
They also urged the two newly elected mayors not to evict them before their proper rehabilitation.CPB leader Majurul Ahsan Khan, addressing the demonstration, urged the government to rehabilitate the hawkers first and then go for eviction.
“We will not tolerate repression and oppression on hawkers. We are calling upon the government to stop its eviction drive,” he said.
