Members of Bangladesh Hawkers Union agitating in the Golap Shah Mazar area of Gulistan in the city on Tuesday, leading to severe traffic jams in other areas — Focus Bangla Hawkers have taken to the streets of the city's Gulistan to protest against their eviction from footpaths, reports bdnews24.com.
Traffic in Gulistan and its surrounding areas came to a halt from 11.00am on Tuesday following the blockade. The protest has compounded the plight of commuters on the first day of Ramadan.
The hawkers began a sit-in in front of Dhaka South City Corporation's Nagar Bhaban before noon, said the police. They later blockaded the North South Road in front of the Golap Shah Mazar.
The protest subsequently spilled on to the road near Gulistan's Bangabandhu Square around 1:00pm. It brought traffic from Paltan to Sadarghat via Phulbaria and from Gulistan to Motijheel to a standstill.
The hawkers were seen blocking the road from Zero Point to the Abdul Ghani Road facing the Secretariat with WASA's sewer pipes.
"The hawkers have blocked all the roads around Gulistan's Golap Shah Mazar. Vehicles are not moving in these areas," said Shahbagh Police Inspector (Patrol) Abul Bashar.
"We haven't been able to conduct business on the footpaths of Bangabandhu Avenue for the last four months. We've been forced to sit idle as a result," said Md Rubel, a hawker.
"The mayor said that he would announce his decision on whether to allow us to run our businesses today. But we couldn't find him (Sayeed Khokon) in his office. We later took to the streets."
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
