DNCC to reclaim Dhaka's walkways with armed Ansar deployment

The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has taken an initiative to make parts of the city walkable again.

The DNCC has decided to deploy 400 armed Ansar members to keep the city's footpaths permanently free from illegal occupation by street vendors and hawkers, reports UNB.

"The main objective of deploying Ansar members on the footpaths is to ensure that no one can reoccupy them after eviction drives. Once the armed Ansar members are stationed, illegal occupiers will not be able to return," DNCC Administrator Mohammad Ejaz Ahmed told UNB.

He said that from this month, around 50 armed Ansar members will initially be deployed in selected areas, including Uttara, Mirpur and the Farmgate footbridges and surrounding zones.

By November, the deployment will expand to a total of 400 members within the DNCC's jurisdiction.

Expenses for the deployment of Ansar members will be covered by the DNCC's own fund.

Responding to a query, Ejaz Ahmed said, "Over the past seven months, more than 100 magistrate-led eviction drives have been carried out in Uttara, Mirpur, and Farmgate. However, within days, the footpaths are re-occupied by illegal vendors."

Asked about the impact on small vendors who might lose their livelihoods due to the evictions, he said, "We have planned to introduce selective holiday markets where small traders can legally operate on weekends or designated days."