PM for quick relocation of evicted hawkers
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman ordered the prompt rehabilitation of street hawkers evicted from different parts of the capital, stressing that their relocation must be carried out in a planned and humane manner to safeguard the livelihoods of displaced small traders.
He asked the authorities concerned to work in close coordination to identify suitable alternative vending spaces and ensure their swift resettlement.
The directive came during an afternoon meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in Tejgaon, attended by senior officials from the Local Government Division, Dhaka North and South City Corporations, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), where the issue of rehabilitating the recently evicted hawkers was discussed in detail on Saturday.
According to a PMO release, the Prime Minister emphasised that while efforts to free footpaths and roadsides from illegal occupation are necessary to restore order and ease public movement, the livelihood concerns of hawkers who depend on small-scale trading cannot be ignored.
He instructed the relevant agencies to jointly survey available public spaces and identify suitable locations where the evicted vendors can resume business without creating obstruction to pedestrians or vehicular traffic.
Tarique Rahman also asked the city authorities to formulate a sustainable management plan so that hawker rehabilitation can be implemented in an organised manner and future encroachment on roads and footpaths can be prevented.
Officials present at the meeting briefed the Prime Minister on the recent eviction drives conducted in several busy commercial and residential areas of Dhaka as part of an ongoing initiative to improve traffic flow, pedestrian safety and urban discipline.
The Prime Minister said any relocation programme must strike a balance between maintaining civic order and protecting the means of subsistence of low-income people, noting that many families are directly dependent on hawking for their daily income.
Senior representatives from the two Dhaka city corporations, Rajuk and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police assured the meeting that they would begin consultations immediately to identify feasible rehabilitation sites and prepare a coordinated action plan for implementation.
The government has recently intensified drives against illegal occupation of roads, footpaths and public spaces across the capital, prompting concerns among many hawkers over the loss of their only source of income.
Against this backdrop, Saturday’s directive is being seen as a move aimed at addressing both urban management needs and the socio-economic hardship faced by informal traders.
The Prime Minister instructed the ministries and agencies concerned to quickly identify designated vending zones so that displaced hawkers can continue business in an organised and dignified manner.
He said the rehabilitated vendors must be provided with suitable spaces to operate comfortably.
Recent eviction drives removed hundreds of makeshift shops from Mirpur-1, Motijheel, Baitul Mukarram, Paltan and Gulistan, prompting the government to decide on arranging alternative locations for the affected traders.
The meeting also discussed introducing a registration system with identity cards for hawkers to ensure better regulation.
Tarique Rahman further stressed the need to reduce traffic congestion during school hours and suggested using part of school premises for parking.
Senior officials from the Local Government Division, Rajuk, Dhaka North and South City Corporations and Dhaka Metropolitan Police were present at the meeting.
