The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) continued its drive to reclaim encroached footpaths and roads for a second consecutive day on Thursday.
Joint teams of police, specially the traffic divisions and mobile courts, conducted drives in areas including Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Kazipara, Shewrapara, Uttara, Gulshan, Kalshi, Fakirapool, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Tejgaon and some other parts of
the city.
During the drives, makeshift shops, roadside vendors' stalls, and illegal extensions of businesses were removed from sidewalks and roads.
In several locations, authorities seized goods and dismantled temporary structures, while in others, vendors were asked to vacate voluntarily.
A mobile court carried out a drive at the entrances to the outdoor and emergency units of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, clearing illegal structures from adjacent footpaths and roads, witnesses said.
Shop owners present at the time were allowed to take away their belongings, while unattended items were confiscated and removed in law enforcers' pickup vans.
Law enforcers said stricter measures were implemented on the second day, following warnings issued during the first day of the drive.
Field observations showed that footpaths in many parts of the city remained comparatively clear, as vendors moved to vacate occupied spaces. However, hawkers demanded compensation and rehabilitation before such drives are carried out.
"We are conducting the second day of the drive from Jatrabari to Faruk Sarani, Golapbagh, Kazla, Saidabad and other areas. The drive will continue," said Azad Rahman, deputy commissioner of Wari Traffic Division, said.
