Dhaka South City Corporation has conducted evictions for a second day in the city’s Gulistan and Bangabandhu Avenue area to get rid of illegal stands and to prevent hawkers from crowding the sidewalk during the day.
On Monday the operation began at 11am under the supervision of three executive magistrates from the City Corporation.
An attempted protest march by the hawkers was broken up by the police.
The magistrates also faced resistance when attempting to demolish a Jubo League office in the area. Traffic was stopped on the Gulistan road and surrounding areas during the operation.
The evictions began in front of the Golap Shah shrine.
Illegal constructions at Gulistan Market, Gulistan Trade Centre, Dhaka Trade Centre, Bangabandhu Underground Market and on the Bangabandhu Avenue footpath were demolished.
Most stall owners had already moved their possessions elsewhere after Mayor Sayeed Khokon’s announcement that evictions would continue.
Many makeshift stalls were destroyed. A few concrete structures were demolished by bulldozers.
Seven platoons of police were deployed to maintain security during the operation. Fifteen vehicles, including City Corporation bulldozers and pay-loaders were involved.
Around 11:30am a group of aggrieved hawkers attempted to conducted a protest march from the Sergeant Ahad Police Box to Fulbarhia Super Market, but police managed to disperse them.
At 12:30pm Jubo League activists attempted to stop the demolition of the Ward-20 Jubo League Gulistan Unit Office, which was built on the footpath in front of the Gulistan Plaza Market.
They were shouting slogans opposing Mayor Sayeed Khokon and the Dhaka South City Coroporation.
Bulldozers eventually demolished the fence on one side of the office.
“Our work is authorised,” said Dhaka South City Corporation Executive Magistrate Khan Mohammad Nazmus Shoyeb. “We have permission to demolish this structure.”
The operation also demolished a BRTC Volvo Bus counter on the Bangabandhu Avenue footpath.
The National Hawkers’ Union surrounded the Dhaka South City Corporation offices around 10:00 am on Monday to protest the eviction of hawkers without resettlement.
A delegation from the union went to present a formal request to Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon around 12:45pm.
The request outlined 10 demands, including stopping evictions without resettlement, the national recognition of hawkers, a stop to extortion, an end to the persecution of hawkers, an official list of authorised and the provision of corresponding identification papers.
Leaders from the Hawkers’ Union also met the mayor at his office.
After the meeting, Hawkers’ Union Councillor Sekendar Hayat said: “We have presented our opinions, but he appears determined to stick to his rigid stance.”
“We have said that if hawkers are to be evicted, they must be given space to work elsewhere. We requested the City Corporation to provide an authorised place for them. We have said that hawkers will take responsibility for ensuring the streets stay clean and that the footpath is uncongested. But he did not listen, so we will continue our protests.”
Illegal constructions in Gulistan and the surrounding areas will be removed, said Mayor Sayeed Khokon after the meeting.
“The city cannot run in a disorderly manner. We are evicting hawkers to clean up the streets. I request those who submitted their requests today to work for the good of the people and help keep our roads and footpaths uncongested and clean."
Asked about the political considerations behind some of the evictions the mayor said that the only consideration was whether the construction scheduled for demolition were constructed in violation of the law.
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