Legal notice seeks to clear illegal occupation of roads, footpaths in Dhaka, Gazipur

A Supreme Court lawyer has sent a legal notice to the government, demanding effective measures to free roads, footpaths and other public spaces in Dhaka and Gazipur from illegal occupation and prevent re-encroachment after evictions.

Lawyer Nazmul Hasan Rakib sent the notice today (8 October) to the secretaries of the Local Government Division and Home Ministry, administrators of Dhaka North City Corporation, Dhaka South City Corporation and Gazipur City Corporation, the inspector general of police, and the police commissioners of Dhaka and Gazipur.

The notice gives the authorities seven days to take necessary steps, failing which further legal action will be taken, the lawyer said.

Speaking to journalists, Rakib said evictions of illegal shops are ongoing in the Dhaka metropolitan area. However, roads, intersections, footpaths and other public spaces in Dhaka and Gazipur are repeatedly occupied by vendors using vans, rickshaw-vans and pushcarts to sell vegetables, fruits, clothes, food items and household goods.

Such activities are causing regular traffic congestion, public suffering and safety risks for pedestrians, he said.

“Police remove them, and they leave the area temporarily, but they return soon afterwards,” the lawyer said.

He said such encroachment reduces the effective width of roads, creates congestion and forces pedestrians to use the main carriageway instead of footpaths.

This also poses risks to children, elderly people and other vulnerable pedestrians while potentially obstructing the movement of ambulances, fire service vehicles and other emergency service vehicles, he added.

The notice calls for immediate and sustained legal action against commercial activities occupying roads, footpaths and other public spaces in Dhaka North, Dhaka South and Gazipur city areas.

It also refers to provisions under the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance, Gazipur Metropolitan Police Act and other relevant laws concerning control of public roads, prevention of obstructions and the unauthorised use of vehicles or other materials for selling goods in public places.

The notice asks the authorities to identify major roads, important intersections, footpaths, markets, schools, hospitals, bus stops and other crowded public places, clear illegal occupations and take effective measures to prevent the same locations from being reoccupied after eviction.