Despite repeated eviction drives, hawkers and vendors continue to run businesses occupying footpaths and large portions of roads in different parts of Chittagong.
Besides barbershops, fruit stalls, and tea stalls, many of the sidewalks remain occupied with building materials dumped from roadside construction sites.
Illegal parking of bicycles and motorbikes is also taking place unabated on the walkways and pedestrians are being forced to risk their lives by walking in the roads.
Chittagong City Corporation (CCC), Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), district administration and special taskforce have evicted and fined the hawkers and vendors several times.
Seeking anonymity, a high official of CCC, said: “When journalists write about the issue, drives are conducted to evict them. But, the illegal occupiers get back to business on the same spot after some time due to a lack of monitoring.”
During a visit to the worst affected areas of the Port City including Bahaddarhat, GEC intersection, New Market, Station Road, Sholoshahar, Agrabad, Alkaron, Anderkillah, Chittagong Medical College Hospital and the Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ), it was found that hundreds of shops, including kitchen markets, have been set up and are occupying almost half the road apart from the footpath.
Nurul Alam Jewel, a student of Chittagong University and a resident of Dewanhat area said: “I am always panicky while walking through the DT road at Dewanhat area as all the footpaths there are dumped with constriction materials like sand and bricks so I have to walk almost through the middle of the road.”
Several diagnostic centres and doctors’ chambers on the KB Fazlul Quader Road in the Chittagong Medical College area have built their entrance and parking on adjoining walkways.
Around 500 roadside shops mushroomed along Chittagong Export Processing Zone, leaving the footpath barely visible.
The footpath from Anderkilla Intersection to Laldighir Par lies in a miserable state even after widening, as the shops adjoining the footpath keep dumping their goods on it. A similar scenario prevails on the Telipotti Road in Chawkbazar.
Md Ashraful Amin, executive magistrate of CDA, said they had evicted around 100 illegal establishments from the footpath along Muraudpur to Bibirhat area on September 9. “We conduct such drives on a regular basis,” he said.
Locals alleged that the illegal occupiers maintain liaison with police, local goons and politically influential locals to run their business on the footpaths.
Banaj Kumar Mazumder, additional commissioner (crime and operation) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP), denied such allegation.
He said: “CCC and CDA are responsible for the matter. If they decide to evict the illegal occupiers, we will assist them.”
Some root-level police members might be involved with the illegal occupying but the high officials are against the matter, said a high official of CMP, seeking anonymity.
CCC Executive Magistrate Najia Shirin said it was a matter of regret that the illegal occupiers resume their business after repeated eviction.
“Everyone should be conscious about the matter and respect the law,” she added.
