Sylhet Bureau:-
Important roads and sidewalks in Sylhet city are once again under the control of hawkers. After the drive to evict these hawkers a few days ago, the situation has deteriorated. In fact, twice as many hawkers are sitting on the sidewalks than before.
The entire city has become a city of hawkers. Every day, from noon onwards, sidewalks and roads are occupied and various goods are bought and sold until late at night. Most of the hawkers have now left the designated hawker markets and taken up residence on the streets and sidewalks. As the streets and sidewalks are occupied by hawkers, pedestrians and vehicles are facing extreme hardship. It seems that the floating traders have permanently occupied them. As a result, those moving around the city are facing hardship. At the same time, there are constant traffic jams in the city. The Sylhet City Corporation and the administration do not seem to be taking any initiative to permanently evict hawkers.
On the contrary, there have been allegations of dishonest employees of the Sylhet City Corporation extorting money from the police and political leaders. However, these allegations have been counter-accused as false. The presence of mobile traders on the city's sidewalks has been a long-standing problem. In the past, when the City Corporation conducted eviction drives from time to time to free the sidewalks from encroachment, the hawkers temporarily left the occupation, but after some time they re-established the occupation and are running their business.
Although a market has been set up in the field adjacent to Ladighirpar Hawker Market at a cost of 1.65 crore taka for the rehabilitation of hawkers, the hawkers are reluctant to go there. There is also a reason for this, customers do not feel comfortable going inside to buy products. Therefore, statements have been received from some hawkers that hawkers are forced to trade on the sidewalk.
After August 5, hawkers started coming to the streets and sidewalks again. Although the city corporation has launched a campaign to evict hawkers, the situation is not improving much. The business of mobile hawkers is now bustling across the streets and sidewalks of Bandar Bazar and Zindabazar, the heart of the city. In addition, hawkers are located along the roads from Zindabazar to Chowhatta and Amberkhana. After evening, the appearance of Zindabazar and Bandar Bazar, the heart of the city, changes completely. Pedestrians suffer greatly due to the presence of hawkers. It can be said that there is no strong role in evicting hawkers. Although campaigns are conducted occasionally, hawkers are again occupying the roads and continuing their business.
Pedestrians suffer the most due to hawkers' encroachment or encroachment on the roads. This leads to traffic jams.
While searching for the question of why Sylhet city cannot be freed from hawkers, sources revealed the whereabouts of an alien called a lineman. Some of these aliens are linemen of the CSIC, some are political leaders, and there is also an alien named Bandar Bazar Police Station. Local sources say that every day in Sylhet city, about a thousand hawkers sit with various types of goods for sale.
And lakhs of taka are collected from them as donations. Sources say that part of this money goes into the pockets of CSIK, politicians and outpost aliens. Every day, starting after evening, donations are collected from hawkers step by step. There are specific people to collect this donation. Some of them are in the name of police outposts, some are CSIK linemen and political party workers. Some have to pay 50 taka, some 100 taka. If they do not pay, the hawkers of that place are removed from the system.
Sources say that because of these aliens, hawkers increase the prices of their products. Due to which the common people have to buy products at high prices. According to the conscious citizens of Sylhet city, if the hawkers are listed and rehabilitated in the hawker market grounds, the suffering may be reduced. Also, if strict action is taken against lawbreakers, the roads and sidewalks will be free from hawkers.
In this regard, Sylhet City Corporation Chief Executive Officer Mohammad Rezai Rafin Sarkar said that we are working to make the sidewalks free of hawkers. Regarding the extortion, he said, "I am not aware of this matter, but if we get accurate information, action will be taken against that person."
In this regard, Bandar Bazar Police Outpost In-charge Ebadullah said that the operation is ongoing to find out who is collecting extortion in the name of the outpost. If information is received, they will be arrested and brought to justice. He said that Kotwali Police Station or Bandar Police Outpost is not involved in extortion. Those who are doing such wrong things in the name of the police will be found.
