Photo: Collected
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has this time taken a firm stand to break the long-standing ring of illegal business and extortion that has grown up by occupying the capital’s footpaths. Alongside a series of drives to remove illegal structures and hawkers that have come up blocking city dwellers’ walkways, the agency has announced that legal steps will also be taken against the influential individuals behind the occupation and against attackers. After the attack on the eviction drive at Mirpur-10, DNCC Administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan Milton gave an even tougher message, saying that to ensure the unhindered movement of city dwellers the drive to free the footpaths will continue, if need be, ‘even over my dead body’. His statement has made DNCC’s position against the occupation of the capital’s footpaths clearer.
The DNCC administrator said eviction drives will continue against those who are creating obstacles to city dwellers’ movement by running businesses illegally. Ensuring the convenience of city dwellers is the responsibility of the city corporation, and no obstruction or attack in the way of discharging that responsibility will be tolerated.
Recently a clash took place during a drive to evict illegal occupation from the footpath in front of Hope Market at Mirpur-10 in the capital. Later, visiting the spot, the administrator said none of those who attacked the city corporation’s vehicles, police and journalists during the drive will be spared.
Shafiqul Islam Khan said separate cases will be filed by DNCC and the police against those involved in the Mirpur-10 incident. They will be brought to book quickly on the basis of investigation. Legal action will also be taken over the attack on journalists.
He said drives have been conducted for several days to free the footpaths, and this activity is being carried out in line with the people’s demand. This is not only an administrative responsibility but also the city corporation’s moral responsibility towards city dwellers. The drives will continue out of that sense of responsibility, and the cooperation of city dwellers is needed in this work.
DNCC said an initiative has been taken to remove illegal occupation from the area beneath the foot overbridge at the Mirpur-10 roundabout, plant trees there and create a pleasant environment suitable for citizens’ unhindered movement. The administrator said similar plans will be implemented in other DNCC areas as well.
Addressing the residents of Mirpur, Shafiqul Islam Khan said the recent incident itself proves that ordinary people want to see the footpaths free of occupation. If an attempt is made in future to occupy the footpaths again at anyone’s instigation, legal action will be taken against them too.
In reply to journalists’ questions about hawkers, the DNCC administrator said it had been decided, after holding views-exchange meetings and public meetings with hawkers, that no one would sit on the footpaths. DNCC had also given 204 registration cards to provide the opportunity to do business elsewhere temporarily by legal means. However, before long many did not abide by that decision.
He said, ‘The footpath is the people’s walkway. Hawkers will not be allowed to sit here.’
This position of DNCC is being seen essentially as part of building a system to keep the footpaths permanently free of occupation. This is because allegations have been raised that in some areas occupation returned even after eviction drives were conducted several times in the past.
Amid DNCC’s tough stance, widespread allegations of occupation and extortion have come to the fore in an investigation carried out into footpaths in various areas of the capital. Information related to the investigation says there are allegations of money being collected regularly by controlling hundreds of footpaths and spaces adjoining footpaths in important areas of the capital. In some places, allegations were found of Tk 150 to Tk 400 being collected daily from each shop. Beyond this, the taking of extra money for electricity or lights has also come up.
The investigation claims that more than five hundred individuals in different areas of the capital are involved in controlling footpaths and collecting extortion money. Among them, the names of leaders and activists of various political parties, locally influential individuals and members of criminal rings have also come up. However, it was not possible to independently verify the statements of each of those named in the investigation.
The investigation says there are several hundred shops in Hope’s alley at Mirpur-10 and on the surrounding footpaths, and there are allegations that money is collected from these shops every day at a fixed rate. Similar allegations of money collection have also emerged on the footpaths in front of Ideal School and Senpara Parbata Government Primary School at Mirpur-10 and in the areas adjoining Radda and the Fire Service.
In addition, allegations of footpath occupation and extortion in various areas of the capital, including New Market, Nilkhet, Gausia, Chandrima Market, Dhanmondi, Gulshan, Badda, Shyampur, Shonir Akhra, Mohammadpur, Adabor, Agargaon, Farmgate, Rampura, Moghbazar and Karwan Bazar, have come up in the investigation.
According to the investigation, there are allegations of large sums of money being collected every day on various parts of the footpaths in the New Market area. In particular, allegations were found of such activities going on around the footpaths of the Nilkhet intersection, Gausia, Chandrima Market and Nurjahan Market areas.
It is claimed that there are hundreds of shops on the footpaths from the Nilkhet intersection to those adjoining the various gates of New Market, and extortion money is collected from them every day at a fixed rate. Similarly, there are allegations of footpath control from Dhanmondi Hawkers Market to Globe Shopping Centre, from Gausia to Eastern Mallika, from Rafin Plaza to Chandni Chowk and in various parts of Nilkhet.
The investigation further claims that a system of illegal occupation and money collection has grown up on the footpaths inside New Market as well.
There are allegations of footpath occupation and extortion in various areas of the southern and central parts of the capital too. Citing a police document, it is mentioned that there are allegations of money collection around more than a hundred shops in Dhupkhola Bazar and the surrounding areas.
There are also allegations of daily money collection from vehicles at the Shyampur micro stand and of extortion from the shops of Shyampur kitchen market. Similar allegations on various footpaths of Shonir Akhra, Mohammadpur, Adabor, Agargaon, Farmgate, Rampura, Moghbazar and Karwan Bazar have also come up in the investigation.
There are allegations of occupation and money collection on the footpaths adjoining Janata Tower, Station Road, Tejkunipara, DIT Market, the fish wholesale market, the fruit market and various shops in the Karwan Bazar area. Similarly, it has been alleged that money is collected through locally influential individuals and linemen on various footpaths of Rampura, Moghbazar and Agargaon as well.
However, no one can be conclusively identified as an offender without the statements of the individuals concerned and independent verification of the allegations. Investigation by the administration concerned and the law enforcement agencies is needed to determine the truth of the allegations.
It has emerged in the investigation that although there are allegations of political patronage in footpath occupation and extortion, the identity of the patrons has changed with time. It is alleged that although in many cases the earlier linemen and managers remain active in the work of collecting money at the field level, they are now using the names of new influential individuals.
Sources claim that an economic network is run by creating the opportunity for footpath occupation. This is why, even when the footpaths are cleared in eviction drives, shops are set up there again after some days.
Crime analyst and Dhaka University Associate Professor Dr Tawohidul Haque thinks the problem of footpath occupation will not be solved permanently by evicting only the hawkers at the marginal level.
He said that in many cases hawkers sit on the footpaths only by paying extortion money. As a result, even if they are removed during drives, occupation may be created again if the influential ring behind them remains active.
In his view, it is necessary to identify the influential individuals involved in footpath occupation and take legal action, give hawkers the opportunity to do business in specified areas and at specified times, and make the holiday market system effective. At the same time, the scope for occupation to return must be closed through regular monitoring.
Dr Tawohidul Haque further said that if political or influential forces have a role behind footpath occupation, it is essential to identify it. Otherwise it is difficult to get a long-term solution by evicting hawkers alone.
Technology sector experts have advised increasing the use of technology to control footpath occupation.
Engineer Md Mofakkharul Islam, managing director of Mysoft Heaven (BD), said smart CCTV and AI-based video analytics can be put to use in important footpath and market areas. Through this it is possible to detect illegal structures or new occupation and automatically send alerts to the authorities concerned.
He also advised preparing a specific digital map of each footpath and storing it in a GIS-based database. With this, how much of which footpath is legally usable and where illegal occupation has taken place can be identified quickly.
Alongside this, he also spoke of launching an app or hotline for citizens to lodge complaints.
The matter of freeing the capital’s footpaths is not confined to eviction drives alone. Several issues are entwined with it, such as hawkers’ livelihoods, extortion, local influence, allegations of political patronage, law and order and urban management.
However, the agency’s position is clear from the recent statement of DNCC Administrator Shafiqul Islam Khan Milton: there will be no compromise on the question of keeping the footpaths free of occupation as the walkway of city dwellers. He also said legal action will be taken if there is obstruction to eviction drives, attacks or attempts at re-occupation.
The main challenge before DNCC now is, alongside keeping the eviction drives regular and effective, to prevent occupation from returning, identify the economic network behind the occupation and build a realistic alternative arrangement for hawkers. How effective and sustainable that position proves at the field level after the administrator’s tough announcement is now at the centre of city dwellers’ interest.
