Relief Returns to Mirpur Pedestrians: Where have the street vendors gone?

"I can hardly believe this is Mirpur. It feels like somewhere else." Saima Zerin made the remark while walking along the sidewalk in front of Mirpur Girls' Ideal School. A resident of Mirpur, she is a student at a private university and uses this route every day.

Saima said that walking along the sidewalk from the Mirpur-10 roundabout used to be a struggle. Makeshift shops lined both sides, leaving barely enough room for one person to pass through. Even two people walking side by side found it difficult. Now that the vendors have been cleared out, pedestrians can walk without obstruction. In fact, part of the sidewalk remains vacant even after people have passed through.

A visit to the Mirpur-10 area on Saturday, October 3, revealed a striking change in a familiar urban scene following the eviction drive. Temporary shops have disappeared from both sides of the road. Areas previously occupied by tables, wooden platforms, vans and makeshift bamboo structures covered with tarpaulins are now open to pedestrians.
Quite a clean sidewalk at Mirpur. Agamir Somoy.
The vendors had sold a wide range of goods, including clothing for women and children, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics and other products. There were also stalls selling fuchka, chotpoti and fried snacks. Many shops extended beyond the sidewalks and occupied portions of the main road, creating congestion for both pedestrians and vehicles.

Although eviction drives had been conducted at different times in the past, vendors usually returned as soon as the operations ended. This time, however, several days have passed since the latest drive, and the temporary shops have yet to reappear in Mirpur-10.
Pedestrians are happy but vendors are looking for alternatives to earn their living. Agamir Somoy.
Last Wednesday, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) launched an operation to clear illegal encroachments from the sidewalks. Clashes broke out between street vendors and law enforcement personnel during the operation. A city corporation garbage truck was set on fire, while a police vehicle and an excavator used in the eviction drive were vandalized.

During the operation, a power line was severed, triggering a fire near the western side of Baitul Quddus Jame Mosque. Two Fire Service units brought the blaze under control after approximately 15 to 20 minutes of effort. Once the situation stabilized, the eviction operation resumed under the leadership of DNCC Executive Magistrate Marufa Begum Neli.

Rashid Ahmed was riding his motorcycle through a lane in front of Hope Market in Mirpur-10 with his wife and young son. He has lived in Mirpur for nearly six years because of his job.

"It used to take a long time just to cover the short distance from the Mirpur roundabout to Hope Market. The shops extended beyond the sidewalks and occupied the main road. Rickshaws added to the congestion, so we would inevitably get stuck in traffic. After this operation, there are no vendors on the sidewalks. Even the roads look much more open," he said.

According to Rashid, vendors used to return to the sidewalks by the afternoon, even when eviction drives were conducted in the morning. This time, however, the sidewalks have remained clear for several days.

Why Have the Vendors Not Returned?

Conversations with local street vendors suggest that the city corporation had been conducting regular eviction drives in Mirpur since the middle of this month. The operations took place at different times, sometimes early in the morning and sometimes in the evening. However, vendors would usually return to set up their stalls on the same day or the following morning.
Farmgate foot-over bridge. Agamir Somoy.
A vendor said, "The city corporation had been quite active for some time. They would suddenly launch eviction drives. After removing our goods, we would later buy them back from city corporation personnel and set up our shops again."
Where Are the Street Vendors Now?

The situation is different following this latest eviction drive. Street vendors are currently afraid to return because of the police cases and arrests following the clashes and vandalism, said Md. Nazim, a vendor who had set up his stall in front of the Mirpur-10 Radda Health Center.

“More than a hundred vendors used to set up stalls on both sides of that road in Mirpur-10. Since the police made arrests, no one has dared to return with their shops. Everyone is waiting for the situation to calm down,” he said.

Police detained 30 people from around the scene that day in connection with the clashes and vandalism. Three cases have been filed with Mirpur Model Police Station. One concerns the burning of a city corporation vehicle, another was filed by police over the attack on officers, and the third was filed by the traffic police. Each case reportedly names between 400 and 500 accused. Another separate case has been filed with Kafrul Police Station. The total number of accused in the four cases is around 2,000.

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Md. Shafiqul Islam Khan said the campaign to clear sidewalks of illegal occupation would continue. The operation would remain underway until the desired results were achieved, he added.

As part of its efforts to keep the sidewalks free of encroachment, the DNCC has also formed a monitoring team for Mirpur-10. In a post on his verified Facebook page today, the administrator said the team would regularly monitor the area. If any shop or structure is set up by occupying a sidewalk, the goods and equipment will be seized and legal action will be taken against those responsible.

What Has Happened to the Vendors?

Sohel Molla used to sell vegetables on a van in front of Mirpur Girls' Ideal College for years. Since the eviction drive, he has been unable to set up his stall again.

Sohel said he had been selling daily essentials and fresh produce in the area for 12 years. He had been evicted several times before but returned to set up his stall each time. This time, however, the situation is different.

“I have a broken leg and walk with the help of crutches. My family depended on the income from this shop. Now I have lost that too. In this situation, I have no choice but to beg. The government has driven us away, but it must also make arrangements for us to earn a living elsewhere,” he said.

Sohel said he had borrowed Tk 5,000 to reopen his shop after an earlier eviction, but had still not been able to repay the loan.

Ayesha Siddiqui, who regularly uses the sidewalks in Mirpur, said, “Before the eviction, both sides of the sidewalks were crowded with temporary shops. Various products were available there at relatively low prices, and people came from other areas to shop. I also bought many things there. However, sidewalks are meant for pedestrians, so the government's initiative must be respected. At least now, people can move around comfortably.”

Urban planner Sheikh Muhammad Mehedi Ahsan, however, said the problem of sidewalk encroachment would not be resolved by evicting vendors without providing them with alternative arrangements.

“We need to see how long the sidewalks remain free of vendors. A large number of people depended on those spots for their livelihoods, so alternative arrangements must be made for them first. Otherwise, simply evicting them will not keep the sidewalks clear. They will set up their stalls somewhere else,” he said.

On the issue, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Dhaka-15 lawmaker Shafiqur Rahman said, “Roads must remain open and clean for public movement. However, the livelihoods of small traders must also be taken into consideration.”

The eviction drive was not limited to Mirpur-10. Similar operations have recently been conducted in several other parts of the capital. At one point, the Farmgate overpass had effectively turned into a temporary market after being occupied by street vendors. Shops of various kinds had sprung up on both sides, making it difficult for pedestrians to move through the area. People had to stand in crowded queues to cross the bridge.

Following the eviction drive, however, the overpass is now free of vendors. Pedestrians can move across it normally. As in Mirpur-10, the removal of vendors in Farmgate has also restored much of the space intended for pedestrians.

Burned Goods Being Removed

During the eviction drive, a fire broke out in a building west of Baitul Quddus Jame Mosque. The building housed several shops selling shoes, clothing and other goods. Their merchandise was destroyed in the fire.

A visit to the site around noon today found cleaning workers removing the burned goods and clearing the area.

Shopkeeper Md. Shariful Islam said his shop contained clothing and other merchandise worth approximately Tk 1 million, all of which was destroyed in the fire.

“This is my permanent shop. I rented it from the mosque committee and pay Tk 30,000 in rent every month. While removing the temporary shops outside, an excavator pulled at something, and a short circuit caused a fire in my shop. Initially, the city corporation personnel did not take the matter seriously, allowing the fire to spread further,” he said.

“I have two employees at my shop. The losses are so extensive that I cannot even pay their salaries now. Many families have been affected by this incident,” he added.

During a visit to the site, DNCC Administrator Md. Shafiqul Islam Khan said the mosque had been deliberately set on fire to create disorder. He said an investigation would be conducted to identify those involved and take steps to arrest them.