A study on the walking environment in the country's capital city has revealed some interesting findings. It showed that five important commercial areas or districts in Dhaka are not friendly for walking at all. Motijheel, once the most important commercial area of the city, is worst for walkers, followed by Gulshan-Banani, Mohakhali, Karwan Bazar, and Mirpur. Though Gulshan-Banani is designed mainly as a residential area with room for limited commercial activities, it has turned into a mixed area. Commercial activities generally dominate Mohakhali and Karwan Bazar. Mirpur has also become a mixed area mainly due to its geographical size and large population.
A vernacular daily, quoting the study conducted by two teachers of the Urban and Regional Planning Department of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), said that despite the growth of business activities, public services in these areas have improved a little. The report also showed that Motijheel features 105 kilometres of road along with 41 kilometres of footpaths, and nearly all of those are occupied by vendors (Bonik Barta, January 4, 2025). Though there is adequate space for walking in Motijheel, street vendors and hawkers have grabbed it. Anyone visiting Motijheel will confirm the finding as vendors have become 'owners' of a large part of footpaths in the area. It is also true that in most areas of the city, pedestrians have to struggle hard to navigate through the streets and footpaths.
The study tried to examine the land use, population density, road connectivity, footpath amenities, footpath conditions, ease of walking on footpaths, accessibility of footpaths, safety and security measures on footpaths, and the comfort and pedestrian-friendliness of footpaths in five commercial zones. Being a first of its kind, it provided many critical insights into these zones. According to the study, in the Gulshan-Banani area, 87 kilometres of roadways and 73 kilometres of footpaths exist. In Mohakhali, there are 39 kilometres of roadway and 5.0 kilometres of footpath. In Karwan Bazar, 6.0 kilometre roadway and 1.0 kilometre footpath exist. In Mirpur, 352 kilometre roadway, and 44 kilometre footpaths exist.
Over the years, grabbing footpaths and roadsides for makeshift vending has become a big business for a section of people at the cost of public suffering. Some leaders and activists of the political party in power, having nexus with members of law enforcing agency have conducted the illegal trade. They have collected tolls from vendors providing shelter for them to operate business. The result has been traffic congestion on roads and walkers struggling to pass by. After the fall of the Hasina regime on August 5, those leaders and activists went into hiding, and new groups replaced them in many places. As law enforcement agencies try to restore their morale, the agency staffers still refrain from illegal trade. Street vendors in most of the places are now trading without paying any toll and consolidating themselves. More people from different parts of the country came to join the rally. So, removing them from footpaths and roadsides becomes impossible.
The 41 kilometre footpaths in Motijheel are not insufficient. If those are freed, they may become a wonderful environment for walking and even reduce the use of para-transits like rickshaws. People can smoothly walk four to five kilometres in the area and move from one point to another for any work. This can enhance mobility.
The terrible walking conditions, as the study unveiled, in these five commercial zones also indicate how bad urban management in this country is and how callous the authorities are. It is high time to correct the wrongs and assert the rights of pedestrians. Footpaths are for walking, not for trade or anything else. Let's stand up for pedestrian rights and work towards a more equitable urban environment.
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