Mohammadpur street turns dumping ground

Thousands everyday use a half-kilometre stretch of a street from College Gate intersection to the Camp Bazar Morh in Dhaka's Mohammadpur.

But the Ghaznabi Road is now more of a dumping ground and a makeshift parking lot.
 
The footpath has been occupied by rickshaw and auto-rickshaw garages.
 
Stench from garbage piled up on the street side and from leaked sewerage lines is unbearable.
 
“You call this a road! It’s merely a carrion dump,” local resident Mainuddin Ahmed, a banker by profession, said.
 
Town Hall area resident Selina Khan said she had no choice but to use the street to take her son to school.
 
“This is the most dirty road in Mohammadpur ,” she said , " Rains make it even worse."
 
“Walking the footpaths is also impossible. Rickshaw and auto-rickshaw garages have grabbed them and they are so dirty.”
 
Another local Abdus Salam said the problem is not new.
 
“This has been the case for seven to eight years now. No one took steps to solve the problem,” he said. 
 

Leaking sewerage lines on a Mohammadpur street. Photo: tanvir ahammed/ bdnews24.com

The footpath on a Mohammadpur street occupied by rickshaw and auto-rickshaw garages. Photo: tanvir ahammed/ bdnews24.com

Salam said residents of the area met the local councillor two weeks ago for a solution.

“He said he would look into the matter. He is still looking into it,” Salam said bitterly.

CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers said Bihari Camp residents own most of the workshop and garages.

A city corporation installed waste container beside the road was overflowing with garbage.

Auto-rickshaw driver Swapan Mia told bdnews24.com their vehicles did not occupy the street all day.

“We only keep our vehicles in the morning and afternoon during the change of shifts,” he said.

He however admitted that repair works of the vehicles in the garages on the footpath continue throughout the day.

When approached, auto-rickshaw owner Mohammad Nadir said, “Where should we keep the vehicles? Where is the place? Will you provide any?”