Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has launched simultaneous eviction drives across multiple areas of the capital to clear sidewalks and roads of encroachment.
The five-day operation began Wednesday morning and was scheduled to continue through Sunday.
Field visits around 2pm on Wednesday in areas including Farmgate, Moghbazar and Banglamotor, however, showed that although hawkers had been removed during the morning drive around 10am, they began reopening shops and arranging goods again by the afternoon. Buying and selling activity was also observed.
Such widely publicized eviction drives have been conducted before, prompting questions among city residents as to whether the latest operation is another symbolic effort that wastes public money, similar to previous drives.
DMP officials, however, said enforcement had been stepped up to prevent re-encroachment after operations conclude.
On-site observations indicated that while some areas were cleared, most locations remained occupied by hawkers. In several places, makeshift structures and stacked materials continued to block sidewalks, while in others, vendors were seen operating directly from pedestrian walkways. As a result, pedestrians had yet to fully benefit from the drive.
The operation covered multiple parts of the capital, including Moghbazar, Banglamotor, Farmgate, Dholai Par, Jatrabari’s Faruk Sarani Road, Kakoli Outgoing area, Shewrapara in Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Fakirapool and Gulistan.
Several hawkers told Dhaka Tribune that the drives were expected to continue for two to four days, during which their business activities may face temporary disruption. They added that while the operation took place in the morning, they planned to reopen their shops after noon.
One vendor, Anarfan Hossain from Narsingdi, who had been running a clothing business on the sidewalk in front of Tejgaon College in Farmgate for 17 years, said he did not open his shop in the morning after receiving prior information about the drive, but resumed business after the operation.
He added that such enforcement actions are not new to him, noting that similar drives typically last a few days before conditions revert to the previous state.
Another vendor, Ali Hossain, who runs a tea stall on a Banglamotor sidewalk, said police removed his shop in the morning. He later reopened his stall at around 4pm. He said police arrived in the morning, and from the following day he plans to open his shop after noon.
When contacted, DMP Assistant Commissioner (Media) Arifa Jahan Prioti said hawkers had been requested in advance to remove their goods and were warned during Wednesday’s drive. She added that stricter action would begin from Thursday.
She said operations were carried out across eight divisions, with fines imposed, jail terms handed down and goods confiscated from those violating regulations.
In a notice issued on March 23, the DMP said many businesses across the capital continue to occupy sidewalks and roads. These include restaurants, showrooms, workshops and floating shops that place goods, grills, stoves, chairs and temporary structures on pedestrian areas.
Such encroachment forces pedestrians onto roads, increasing public inconvenience and contributing to traffic congestion, the notice said.
To ease movement for city residents, all business establishments were instructed to promptly remove any items placed on sidewalks and roads.
Regarding Wednesday’s operation, Prioti said fines totaling Tk 192,000 were imposed on the first day, while 23 individuals were sentenced to varying prison terms. Illegal encroachments were removed, goods were seized and legal measures were taken against violators.
