Fruit and vegetable stalls occupying footpaths on both the sides of the road, pedestrians forced to walk on the main street, frequent traffic gridlock due to inadequate moving space for both humans and vehicles – this is the everyday scene at the Poshchim Bazar area in Moulvibazar town.
According to locals, Poshim Bazar is the hub of everyday commodity trade in the town, with fish market, butcher and poultry shops, and fruit and vegetable stalls catering to local residents as well as people coming from other parts of Moulvibazar district. Business starts around 8am and runs until midnight, every day, in the market.
What is causing the trouble for the commuters is that the shops are on the footpaths on both the sides of the streets in the area. The pavements of the street from Bazar Jame Mosque area on Syed Mujtaba Ali Road to Mohsin Pharmacy end, and between the Bata intersection near Central Road and Srimangal Road, are completely occupied by these shops and inaccessible to the pedestrians.
There is a building accommodating the market in Poshim Bazar, yet the competitive vendors choose to occupy the footpaths to showcase their products and attract customers, sources said.
Forced to use the main street, the pedestrians then take up the space for vehicles, which causes traffic congestion, the locals complained.
But even the streets in those areas are in bad conditions. The vendors dump rotten products and other waste right on the road, making it filthy. Added to that are the potholes covering the entire streets.
It gets worse during the monsoon season, as constant rain results in roads covered with thick mud and puddles of dirty water.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Suruk Miah, 30, from Jagannathpur area, said the entire place was disgusting.
“I need to come to Poshchim Bazar every day for shopping. But it is a nightmare, since the roads are filthy and we cannot walk on the footpaths. We are forced to step on the main street, which inevitably ruins our clothes,” he said.
Momtaz Miah, a local businessman and another buyer who frequents the market, said: “It gets especially difficult to come here when it rains. We are no other options as this is the only kitchen market in the town.”
He complained that the authorities were blind to these problems.
However, when contacted, Moulvibazar Municipality Mayor Faizul Karim said he was aware of the dilapidated conditions of the streets in Poshim Bazar.
“Not everyone knows, but those streets are parts of the market building. Construction of the building’s second floor will start soon, which is when the streets will also be repaired. That is why they are not being patched up right away,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.
About the occupied footpaths, he said: “Eviction drives will be conducted on the footpaths to make them accessible for the pedestrians.”
