Fruit traders’ protest halts traffic on Dhaka-Barishal hwy

A protest by fruit traders demanding direct allotment of newly built stalls by the Barishal City Corporation (BCC) disrupted traffic on the Dhaka-Barishal highway for several hours on Tuesday morning.  

The vendors blocked the highway at Hatem Ali Choumatha around 11:00 AM, causing severe traffic congestion and commuter suffering.  

The protesting traders claim they have been running businesses for years on a plot they had leased from the Zilla Parishad. However, after Barishal Municipality was upgraded to a City Corporation, the BCC took ownership of the land following boundary demarcation.  

According to protester Shahid, former BCC Mayor Sadik Abdullah had attempted to construct stalls on the land but was forced to halt the work due to vendor resistance. However, the current BCC administration has now built 30 to 35 stalls and plans to distribute them through a lottery system, a move the traders strongly oppose.  

The protesting vendors insist that since they have been conducting business on the land for years, they should be given priority in stall allocation without a lottery.  

"We will continue our protest until our demands are met," warned Shahid, emphasizing their commitment to securing their livelihoods.  

As of Tuesday afternoon, no resolution had been reached, and the situation remained tense as authorities and traders continued discussions.