Hawkers start occupying city footpaths

New Market area in the city. PHOTO: Zobaer Hossain Sikder

They take the opportunity to capture the footpaths and every available open space on the streets with a view to extracting maximum benefits from the shoppers on the eve of Eid-ul Fitr.

A frenzy of competition also takes place among them over capture of footpaths. This sometimes leads fracas too.

The law enforcing agencies and Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) usually have turned a blind eye to this. The CCC, owner of the footpaths, is found to be generous enough to allow free-style capturing of footpaths.

The Chief Conservancy Officer of CCC, sometime, comes up with 'cautionary notices' through local newspapers against the occupiers. Such notices ended up in sheer mockery of the advertisement. And the official concerned seems to have unmoved by the outcome of his warnings.

The footpaths at New Market, Reazuddin Bazar, Station Road, KC Dey Road, Chawk Bazar, Agrabad, Bandartilla, Export Processing Zone (EPZ) and Halishahar are the most awful sites.

It is very difficult to find an inch of space in these locations especially on the final quarter of Ramadan. And one must caught in a maze if asked to locate a footpath in front of Municipal High School near the New Market and the Darul Fazal Market, home to different party offices.

The footpath stretching from the Rifles Club and Aparna Charan Girls High School upto New Market Intersection, is virtually held occupied by the hawkers and makeshift traders for almost 365 days.

Authorities' inaction propels the vendors to overconfidence and arrogance. As a result, they expand their businesses up to roads. At Municipal School point, the 40 feet road turns into a lane during Ramadan.

Mohammad Fazal, a vendor at the New Market point, said we don't have any other option but our only means to earn money for our poor families. Please don't write anything that can snatch this opportunity, he added.

We do businesses on footpaths by managing patrol police, Abdur Rahim, also a vendor, at Station Road said.

"We have instruction to keep the footpaths or streets clear throughout the year and we follow the order strictly through regular vigils and prompt actions, Assistant Commissioner (Detective Branch) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) Mohammad Shafique Uddin Chowdhury said.

He, however, said there might have a few reversals.

The Conservancy Officer Saifuddin Mahmud Katebi could not be contacted for comments.