Desk Report: Vendors have occupied nearly half of the road with items ranging from vegetables to chickens. The market has almost everything stretching from Shapla (Water Lily), fruits to Muri-Murki (puffed rice), reports Daily Asian Age.
The vendors showed no sign of leaving the road though the clock stuck from noon to evening. The illegal sale occupying road and footpath at Mirpur-1 is locally known as Ansar Camp kitchen market.
The market is situated on a u-tern of Mirpur-1 to Gabtoli route. Illegal occupation and chaos of the customer are frequently creating traffic congestions, accidents sometimes. Besides, a tour to National Zoo, leaving the market behind, also found the similar scenario both sides on the roads. Hundreds of temporary kitchen markets have been set up in Dhaka like Mirpur.
Garbage produced by these markets are being dumped on the roads hindering traffic.
According to the two Dhaka City Corporations, the metropolis has a total of 28 legal kitchen markets, which is apparently too little for a megacity with 1.5 crore people. Illegal markets are exploiting the poor ratio, prompting traffic jam, hassle and accidents.
For example, Fulbaria bus stand has fruit shops, hotels, tea stalls and temporary kitchen markets prompting total chaos everyday. Meantime, a vendor of Jurain kitchen market were found sitting on the railroad. The sale continues on the rail track amid frequent movement of trains.
The tentacles of the market have now touched the main road intensifying traffic snarl at adjacent roads. Gullal Singh, zonal executive officer of zone-4 of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) said they evicted the Ansar Camp market several times.
“They come back soon after the eviction drive ends. However, we need to be more frequent in operating the drives,” he commented.