Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Safiqul Islam Khan on Monday said hawkers would no longer be allowed to set up stalls on the footpaths in Mirpur-10 and Mirpur-1, while the corporation was working to arrange alternative spaces for the evicted vendors.
"We are working to arrange alternative spaces for them as soon as possible," he said.
The DNCC administrator made the remarks during a meeting with a 10-member delegation of the Bangladesh Hawkers' Union at his office.
During the meeting, the hawkers' representatives submitted a memorandum demanding the rehabilitation of vendors evicted from footpaths in Mirpur and other areas.
Mentioning that hawkers were also part of the city, the DNCC administrator said the corporation was looking for alternative locations, particularly in Mirpur-10, Mirpur-1 and Uttara, where they could continue their businesses.
He, however, made it clear that hawkers will be able to run business on mobile vehicles in the alternative sites, but no makeshift platform or stall would be allowed.
Safiqul also said the government had plans to introduce holiday markets for hawkers, adding that the DNCC was trying to arrange such markets for those evicted from the footpaths. "If we can arrange alternative locations for 300 to 500 shops, customers will also visit those places, creating opportunities for better business."
He said the authorities had been compelled to remove illegal structures and hawkers from the footpaths, blaming certain syndicates and some vendors for occupying not only the footpaths but also portions of the roads.
As a result, pedestrians had been left with virtually no space to walk, and many people were unaware that the footpaths were meant for public use, the administrator said.
He added that the public welcomed the eviction drive after the footpaths were cleared.
