A number of shops set up illegally on the road from Shahbag National Museum to the Fine Arts faculty of Dhaka University (DU) are obstructing vehicular movement and causing problems for pedestrians.
It is tough to move in the area as most of the shops are in the middle of the roads.
Sources said shopkeepers have to pay tolls ranging from Tk300 to Tk500 daily to law-enforcers and student leaders of Dhaka University to run their business smoothly.
On a visit to the area, this correspondent found that movement of vehicles has become difficult, as roads on both sides have become narrow due to the makeshift shops.
University sources said student leaders belonging to the ruling party along with police extort money from these illegal establishments.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Sohel Miah, owner of a shop, said he pays Tk200 daily to law enforcers and Tk300 to a student leader.
He, however, refused to disclose the name of the student leader.
Shop owners said law enforcers took money ranging from Tk50 to Tk200 from shop owners depending on shops’ size.
Bulbul Ahmed, a resident of Chankharpul area, said: “Last week when I was going to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University with my mother by rickshaw, I did not face any trouble in coming from Chankharpul to TSC intersection, but after that, it took nearly an hour to reach the hospital because of the traffic.”
The reason for the delay was a makeshift shops set up in the area, he observed.
Shirajul Islam, officer-in-charge of Shahbag police station, denied allegations that police take tolls from the shops.
He said, “We often carry out raids to evict shopkeepers from the area, but they always return and set up shops again. We are considering deploying law enforcers in the area to make the road shop-free.”
Prof Dr Amjad Ali, proctor of Dhaka University, said, “We often evict shopkeepers from the area with the help of law enforcers, but they come back shortly after the eviction.”
He said the shops were mainly run by former students of the university and student leaders are also involved in this.
“I think it will only be possible if the student leaders help us evict shopkeepers and raze the illegal shops.”
President of the Dhaka University unit of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) Mehedi Hasan said, “As far as I know, student leaders are not involved in such acts.” Regarding the eviction of shopkeepers from the area, he said, “If the authorities tell us, we will help them to do so.”
