Hawkers protest in N’ganj demanding rehabilitation
Hawkers who were evicted from the footpaths of Narayanganj city once again took to the streets. The agitated protesters strongly voiced their demands by staging protest rally chanting slogan “No eviction without rehabilitation.”
The protest rally staged at the Central Shaheed Minar in Chashara on Wednesday (29 April).
The procession, led by KM Mizanur Rahman Rony, President of the Narayanganj Metropolitan unit of the Jatiyatabadi Hawkers Union, marched through Bangabandhu Road and Shaista Khan Road.
During the march, they also staged a brief sit in front of the residence of Narayanganj-5 Member of Parliament, Advocate Abul Kalam, chanting slogans demanding rehabilitation.
According to the hawkers, although there are around 3,000 to 3,500 hawkers in the city, only a few hundred participated in the protest.
They declared that their movement would continue until their demands are met. They said they depend on footpath businesses for their livelihood, and eviction without rehabilitation would push them into severe hardship.
They further stated that, from a humanitarian perspective, authorities should designate alternative spaces before carrying out eviction drives. Until a proper rehabilitation plan is finalized, they demanded permission to operate on footpaths at least after 5 PM.
On the other hand, city residents expressed relief after the eviction, saying that footpaths had long been unusable due to hawker occupation, causing significant inconvenience to pedestrians and traffic alike. They urged the authorities to maintain the current situation.
Meanwhile, Narayanganj City Corporation Administrator Advocate Shakhawat Hossain Khan stated that no business activities would be allowed on footpaths.
“First, we will make the city livable for residents. Rehabilitation will be considered later in line with government decisions,” he said.
Earlier, on April 13, hawkers were removed from the city’s busiest roads and footpaths during a joint eviction drive conducted by the City Corporation, district administration, and police, according to an official press release.
