DOT Desk: A section of traders set up wholesale kitchen and fruit markets on many busy roads in the capital, paying extortion to local influential persons, reports The Daily Sun.
Locals said some traders grab roadsides to set up kitchen and fruit markets, posing a risk to a road accident.
Most of the traders pay extortion to a section of influential persons to run their brisk business, market insiders said.
In some cases, retailers also have to pay extortion to buy vegetables and fruits.
The markets are Kawran Bazar Kitchen Market, Shyambazar Kitchen Market, Badamtali Fruits Market, Jatrabari Kitchen Market, Khilkhet Kitchen Market and Hazaribagh Fruits Market.
During a visit to Shyambazar and Badamtali on Thursday, the daily sun correspondent found several hundred makeshift shops of fruits, vegetables and betel leaves on both sides of the road from Badamtali to Forashganj.
A narrow space is left for traffic. Vehicles ply very slowly whistling.
Every day, hundreds of traders buy various kinds of vegetables, fruits, betel leaf, areca nut and so on from the street shops.
If a retailer buys five 10kg of carrot, s/he has to pay Tk 5 as extortion in the name of ‘Quely,’ which means arat (storehouse) charge.
On the other hand, the seller has to pay a big amount of money to extortionists daily, weekly or monthly.
When asked, Abu Bakar, who sells areca nut on a road, told the daily sun that he had to pay Tk 5,000 monthly. But, he did not disclose the name of the extortionist.
Hundreds of makeshift shops are seen on roads in and around Kawran Bazar Kitchen Market.
Kamruzzaman Mia, a retailer of the market, said they have been doing business there for a long time. He has to Tk 6,000 monthly, but did not disclose the name of the money receivers.
He added that Dhaka North City Corporation and police demolished street shops several times.
Like Shyambazar, buyers have to pay extortion there in the name of Quely. Two busy roads crisscross beside Jatrabari Kitchen Market, but hundreds of makeshift shops were found on the both sides.
Garbage of the market has been seen lying on road. Extortion collection was also reported from there.
Hazaribagh Fruits Market is located beside the Embankment Road. Makeshift shops were seen on both sides of the road in front of the market.
The same description was reported from Khilkhet Kitchen Market.
Sources in the Dhaka South and North City Corporations said the sale and buy on roads and footpaths are totally forbidden, let alone collection of money from traders.
When asked, chief executive officer of Dhaka North City Corporation Md Mesbahul Islam said he does not know about the matters.
“I don’t know whether there are makeshift shops or extortion is collected,” he said.
Chief Revenue Officer of Dhaka South City Corporation Mohammad Yusuf Ali Sarder echoed the same.