Dhaka South to designate ‘green zones’ for street vendors, Mayor Taposh says

But ‘red zones’ will always be off limits to the hawkers, the mayor says

Dhaka South City Corporation is designating some “green zones” where street vendors will be allowed to sell goods throughout the day, Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh has said.

But “red zones” will always be off limits to the hawkers, the mayor said, speaking at a reception organised by Bangladesh Hawker Sangram Parishad on Thursday.

At “yellow zones”, they will be allowed to do business at certain periods.

The colour-based zoning system aims to ease traffic jams in busy areas without destroying the livelihoods of the hawkers, according to Taposh.

The city corporation evicted hawkers from the streets around Zero Point and Baitul Mukarram after Taposh had declared the key roads “red zones” in September 2022.

On Thursday, the mayor said the roads from Zero Point to the Bangabhaban and to Mayor Hanif flyover via Assad Police, and the road outside the Bangabhaban were “red zones”.

He urged hawkers not to use these roads. “We’ll designate some yellow zones where you may sit for certain periods and vacate them afterwards for proper traffic management. No one will evict you.”

He said the entire system would be launched gradually in consultation with the vendors. “We need to work together to build a running and beautiful Dhaka.”

Taposh also asked the hawkers not to see the city corporation as their enemy. “You are stakeholders of the city corporation, which works for you. You’ll be benefited if you follow the city corporation’s guidelines and instructions.”

Rashed Khan Menon, president of the Workers Party and local MP, urged the mayor to take steps for making guidelines for the street vendors until a law is passed on the matter. “This will save them from goons and police.”