Hawkers can sit on Gulistan footpaths, not roads

Hawkers will be allowed to sit on footpaths at Gulistan in Dhaka without giving any toll from now, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sayeed Khokon said today. 

But they cannot occupy any roads in the area, Khokon said at a meeting with Bangladesh Hawkers Federation at Nagar Bhaban in Dhaka.

The hawkers will not pay toll to anyone not even to police, political person or any staff of the city corporation for occupying the footpaths, the mayor added.

“They will inform the city corporation authorities if anyone demands toll from them,” Khokon said.

The meeting also formed a 13-member committee headed by Khalid Ahmed, chief estate officer of the south city corporation, for making a detailed list of hawkers in the capital and recommendations for ending road occupation by hawkers.

The committee will have to place a complete report to the DSCC within seven working days.

At the meeting, the leaders and activists of the hawkers’ federation demanded the south city corporation to allow them to sit on footpaths along one side of the roads under its area.

They also urged the city corporation to introduce token system to allow them on the footpaths, the federation leaders proposed.