Hawkers and pedestrians continue to be locked in a stalemate in the capital, and it is safe to say that policy is failing both.
Eviction drives to promises of “management,” have not stopped hawkers from reclaiming key pavements, while designated vending zones have not been a solution and oftentimes occupied.
A solution must be reached, one that is based in realism. Evicting thousands of hawkers overnight was never the solution, and city corporations need to stop returning to the familiar script of stern warnings, mobile courts, and symbolic eviction drives that briefly clear footpaths before chaos returns.
This cycle is unsustainable. Pedestrians deserve safe, unobstructed walkways while hawkers deserve a dignified way to earn a living. The solution is not choosing one over the other but designing a system where both can coexist.
First, Dhaka needs legally backed, city‑wide hawker zoning, not ad‑hoc markings that fade with time. The Dhaka South City Corporation has announced it is going to introduce sitting plans and identity cards for hawkers, and what has to be ensured is that this is done right.
Second, transparent licensing and fee structures are essential. Hawker cards can work only if they are insulated from syndicates and political brokers. Any evidence of extortion or partisan control must trigger investigation..
Pedestrian rights must also be non‑negotiable. A guaranteed minimum width of clear footpath is the bare minimum. Where hawker zones exist, they must be physically separated or clearly demarcated so pedestrians are not forced onto the road.
Ultimately, rehabilitation must be real, not rhetorical. Dhaka’s footpaths cannot remain battlegrounds between survival and safety. If policy is honest, transparent, and enforced, hawkers and pedestrians do not have to be enemies. They can share the city, but only if the city is finally planned for both.
