Hawkers will not be allowed to occupy roads anywhere in the capital, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) administrator Abdus Salam said on Monday. They will, however, be allowed to trade at designated places if they follow the rules, he said, and the traders will also have to take responsibility for keeping the footpaths clean.
He was speaking at a meeting with civil society on the area’s development, held on Monday morning (October 26) in the staff quarters area of Kalabagan in the capital.
Abdus Salam said waterlogging is one of the main problems in the DSCC area and work is under way to solve it. Meanwhile, with roads and footpaths in the New Market area taken over by hawkers, ordinary people struggle to get about there, and many no longer feel comfortable going to the area. A decision has been made to launch a special programme quickly to change that, he said.
He said hawkers cannot set up anywhere on the roads and everyone must follow the set rules. But if trading is arranged within the rules, those involved will be given facilities, he said, citing the example of the night market in Motijheel.
Noting that providing civic services is the city corporation’s duty, the administrator said serving residents according to their needs is its responsibility. Any negligence or problem in carrying out that duty should be reported and the necessary action will be taken, he said, asking everyone for cooperation.
At the same event, Sheikh Rabiul Alam, Minister for Road Transport and Bridges, Railways and Shipping, urged political parties, social organisations and residents to play their part in the capital’s development, in residents’ comfort and in restoring order to city life.
He said serving some 35 million people with the city corporation’s limited staff and capacity is a major challenge. On top of that, financial irregularities and misuse of funds under the previous government have weakened the organisation’s finances, he said.
The minister said work will be prioritised according to which roads matter most and where development is needed. Need and public interest, not the identity of a person or an area, will decide, he said.
Problems in the different wards have been identified, Sheikh Rabiul Alam said. The city corporation is working on them, but not yet enough, and there are obstacles to increasing the pace and scope of the work, of which the authorities are aware.
He called on people from all walks of life, political leaders, activists, supporters, well-wishers and ordinary citizens to work together to make the capital more liveable.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report