Hawkers threaten to siege police station if more vendors arrested

Hawker leaders have demanded an immediate halt to sidewalk evictions until alternative vending spaces and livelihood arrangements are provided, warning that they will besiege the police station concerned if any more vendors are arrested.


The hawker representatives said a month of continuous eviction drives had pushed thousands of families into severe financial hardship, leaving many struggling to afford food, pay their children's education expenses and repay loan instalments.

They called for permission to operate on footpaths in an orderly manner from 3:00pm to 10:00pm or for a resolution based on the union's 12-point demand charter.

The leaders said they did not want to be used as political tools but sought the right to earn a living independently and support their families. With their businesses shut down for an extended period, many vendors were unable to provide food at home or pay school fees and examination charges for their children.

They also urged authorities to suspend repayments on loans taken from non-governmental organisations and banks until alternative vending arrangements are made.

The protesters argued that hawkers contribute to the national economy by selling goods on which taxes are paid and are citizens entitled to livelihood opportunities. They called for a negotiated solution that would ensure both the free movement of pedestrians and the economic survival of street vendors.

Jolly Talukder, an adviser to the Bangladesh Hawkers Union, said working-class hawkers had contributed to democratic movements and struggles but were now facing arrests and alleged harassment in the name of eviction drives.

The problem could not be solved by leaving vendors without food or forcibly removing them from the streets, she said.

Talukder proposed introducing a fixed schedule allowing hawkers to conduct business from the afternoon until night. Alternatively, she urged the authorities to restore order in footpath management through the implementation of the union's 12-point demands.

Nasir, a hawker leader from Mirpur, described evicting vendors without providing alternative spaces and leaving their families to face hunger as inhumane.

He said hawkers were not opposed to the state or the government and should be allowed to operate in an orderly and regulated manner until a specific alternative arrangement was put in place.

The protesters urged the authorities to initiate dialogue and develop a sustainable policy that balances pedestrian access to footpaths with the livelihood rights of thousands of street vendors in the capital.