Commercial ventures in residential areas

Nilratan Halder | Published: January 13, 2023 21:25:49

The news is tragic: in a posh area of the city, two girls jumped from a four-storey spa centre sensing the presence of a mobile court. One died soon afterwards and the other was fighting for life in a hospital. Now why did they jump off? It is because the spa centre was located in the residential area where no such commercial venture was allowed.
Well, do residential locations still maintain their special character in the megalopolis? Dhanmondi, once the most distinguished residential zone has long lost its character. The two-storey buildings with specious front lawn, backyard and sideway car-parking sheds or badminton or tennis courts have either been replaced by multi-storey flats or a few remainder are is ruinous state because there is no one to live in. Perhaps commercial outlets and rented accommodations now outstrip the original residential occupation.
Even Banani and Gulshan cannot claim to have maintained their cent per cent purity of residential character. But there are pockets there which fiercely guard against any commercial intrusion. Diplomatic zone, for reasons understandable, cannot allow any such admixture. Where exactly the spa centre was located is not mentioned but it appears there are more to the story. After all clandestine business like spa most often has something to hide. Here the tragedy is that the hapless girls who felt prompted to jump off the building appear to be hired hands but the real culprits who carry out the business may not at all be brought to justice.
It is the poor who, compelled to take professions not receiving legal sanctions, have most of the time to pay the price. So far as the commercial ventures --- big or small --- in residential areas are concerned, usually the strategic locations decide how brisk business will be and what commodity will pull the greatest number of customers. Even the time of the day and season matters. Maybe, the commodities of the morning will have no customer in the afternoon or evening.
One thing, though, is clear that people are desperate to earn their living. There is a whole range of vendors who have made vending their full-time or part-time occupation. The part-time vendors may work in a different capacity for the early hours and in the afternoon they carry out a completely different call of duty. In front of the Residential Model School, there is an early morning extempore market --- obviously not approved --- which showcases the multifarious small business initiatives unlettered or barely literate people take in order to survive. Apart from all things a kitchen market puts on show for sale, this bazaar has mobile machines for extraction of mustard oil. Anyone can order oil to his/her requirement that the operators will extract instantly from mustard seeds carries in sacks.
Such unapproved bazaars of vegetables, fish and fruits are also arranged within the vicinity of that spot on lanes and by-lanes of Tajmahal Road. There is no dearth of customers. Mostly morning joggers and walkers who warm their bodies in the Chandrima Uddyan on their return home become regular buyers. A few things the temporary vendors bring are uncommon. Even without the rare commodities, the bazaar survives mostly because there is a great demand for it. At times the law enforces come heavily upon the vendors when they promptly get away with or without their wares. But still it goes on because, the law enforces also admit it serves an economic purpose benefiting both buyers and sellers.
The afternoon or evening shopping extravaganza has to be seen to believe. Young men well behaved and, maybe, educated also neatly arrange their ware ---now only warm or winter clothes. In summer shirts, T-shirts, denim, jeans or other trousers are the main ware. These are bought in lots either because the garment factories had to dispose of those on account of minor defects or order cancellation. Ordinary customers have no way of detecting the defects because the ware bear brand names.
If certain segments of footpath and roadsides are occupied by the vendors creating at times intractable tailbacks, no one bothers. Clearly, there are patronisers both in socio-political hierarchy and in the law enforcement agencies. Otherwise this kind of commercial invasion could not continue for months and years.
Apart from these vending options, some open up their small eateries in a most innovative way. There are the narrowest of provision for serving pizza, pasta, futchka and the likes on order. No table but a few stools or chairs on the road in front by the side of a school playground serve the purpose or in case of velpuri and panipuri even there is nothing to sit on. The customers are mostly teenagers --- majority of them being girls --- who are accustomed to eating the mouth-watering foods in their standing position. How can one wish away such diversity of catering service for a local residential community?