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Published : 09 Nov 2025, 01:58 AM
The weekday morning rush in Dhaka is a familiar spectacle -- parents racing to drop children at school, commuters hurrying to offices, and endless traffic queues stretching across the capital. But in several neighbourhoods, the congestion is worsened by sprawling morning markets that occupy main roads and footpaths, leaving both commuters and police trapped in a daily struggle.
Visits to two such markets in Mirpur and Mohammadpur revealed scenes of utter disorder: makeshift stalls blocking half the road, fishmongers shouting prices over blaring horns, and police officers sweating to keep vehicles moving inch by inch.
Officers admit they are powerless to remove these unauthorised markets without coordinated intervention from multiple agencies.
On a recent morning, the road from Mirpur 1 to Technical intersection was found almost half-closed by a thriving bazaar. Amid the chaos of office-bound crowds, bargaining continued briskly at fish, poultry and vegetable stalls, while food stalls for shoppers sprang up on the pavement.
“This market’s been here for ages,” said vegetable seller Md Shakil. “It’s the only one in Mirpur where we don’t have to pay any toll. That’s why traders are so keen to come.”
Over 500 vendors now crowd this stretch, from fish and meat sellers to fruit and bakery hawkers. The influx of customers, their vehicles and waiting rickshaws turns the once four-lane road into a single, clogged lane where even one bus struggles to pass.
Traffic constables and sergeants -- two constables, one ASI, one sergeant and one inspector -- were seen frantically gesturing vehicles through gaps.
“It’s like squeezing water through a sponge,” one officer muttered as the road froze again.
Fish cutter Habib, who arrives at 5:30 every morning, said the gridlock lasts throughout the market’s hours until noon. “There’s never a break. We set up early and finish after midday -- all that time, traffic doesn’t move,” he said.
Across the road stands Delta Medical College Hospital, one of Dhaka’s key cancer treatment centres, alongside the National Heart Foundation. Just 50m away, the U-turn in front of Mirpur Bangla College fills up with inter-district night coaches dropping passengers before turning back toward Technical. By dawn, buses, buyers and vendors combine to choke the entire junction.
Fish trader Md Sumon, who brings goods from Satkhira, said the market’s attraction is simple: “Plenty of buyers, good sales, and no extortion. So it just keeps expanding.”
Residents like Abdus Sattar of Tolarbagh blame the market’s unchecked return on lax enforcement.
“It’s not even that old,” he said. “After COVID, a few vendors started sitting here. By 2023, it turned into a full market. Police cleared it once, but after Aug 5 last year, it came back.”
He added that cheaper prices draw in customers from across Mirpur. “It’s far cheaper than the nearby superstores. That’s why it’s packed every day.”
Traffic Inspector Al Amin sighed when asked about the chaos. “This is a thorn in my throat,” he said. “They say it’s been going on for 20 years. There’s no political boss behind it -- if we move them from one side, they just settle on the other.”
Removing it, he said, is beyond the police alone: “You need a joint effort — police, Army, mobile courts. Without that, it’s impossible. Every morning, we’re stretched to our limits managing this mess. Please write about it so everyone knows.”
Bus driver Aminul Islam, who drives a Capital Transport bus from Mirpur to Savar, vented his frustration: “We lose hours in this jam. Morning rush, and these people put up a market on the main road -- no one says a word. Even a minor breakdown here blocks the whole road.”
FOOTPATHS VANISH TO MARKETS
Mohammadpur faces similar gridlock each morning. The area links people from Keraniganj via the Bosila Bridge and houses several prominent schools within 2sqkm -- Asad Avenue, Iqbal Road, Babar Road, and College Gate.
Traffic is already dense, but from dawn till late morning, a massive market sprawls along the footpath beside Residential School and College, stretching nearly a kilometre from Ganabhaban crossing to Mohammadpur Fertility Centre -- right in front of the Tejgaon Traffic Division DC’s office.
The stalls spill off the footpath onto the street. Pickups and covered vans park on the road to sell goods, while buyers’ cars and motorcycles line the pavement.
Rickshaws wait for passengers but, unable to turn around at Ganabhaban crossing, drive against traffic -- jamming the narrow lane repeatedly.
Vendor Miron said most customers are parents dropping off children or morning walkers from Zia Udyan. “When schools are closed, business slows down,” he said.
Regular shopper Imran Wahid recalled: “This market’s been here for years. Police shut it down once in 2023, but after Aug 5 last year, it returned -- and it’s even bigger now.”
A Tejgaon police officer admitted the difficulty: “It’s a big problem, but police can’t clear it alone. The road gets blocked in the morning, and by afternoon, traders selling clothes and shoes occupy Ring Road on vans. We can’t remove either. The public suffers immensely.”
The frustration was echoed by Tejgaon Traffic Division Deputy Commissioner Rafiqul Islam.
“A coordinated effort is essential,” he said. “The police alone can’t solve this. We’re trying to keep roads clear in the mornings so vehicles can move, but it’s a constant battle.”
