Haat, bazaar in 16 Comilla UZs in pitiable condition

COMILLA, Aug 9: Almost all the haats and bazaars in 16 upazilas (UZs) of the district are in deplorable condition causing serious inconvenience to the buyers and the sellers.
Bagmara Bazaar, Eliotganj Bazaar, Companiganj Bazaar, Jaforganj Bazaar, Elahabad Haat, Moinamoti Bazaar, Dolly Nowabpur Haat, and Dhamti Haat areas are in pitiable condition although they are the sources of substantial revenue income for the local administration.
Shortage of space, lack of proper maintenance, filthy stagnant water, heaps of garbage emitting bad smell are common phenomenon in every haat and bazaar of the district.
Due to shortage of sheds, most of the traders spread their commodities under the open sky for selling amid the scorching heat of the sun and sometimes in rain.
Businessman Swapan of Bagmara Bazaar complained about absence of drainage facility in the market. As a result, the situation worsens in the rainy season.
Filths and garbage are left here and there and remain for days together, emitting putrid smell polluting the environment, said a customer at Moinamoti Bazaar.
The narrow passages in these markets hamper easy movement of the consumers. The unplanned construction of shops and stalls reduced space in the markets, creating accommodation problem.
Acute scarcity of drinking water is also prevailing in the markets. Absence of public toilets poses threat of public health. Those who have taken lease of the haats and the bazaars never visit there to see the condition or take measures for improvement.
There is no chart of rates in the markets. Mosleh Uddin, a buyer at Jaforganj Bazaar alleged that the leaseholders realise more tax than the government rate causing hardship to the sellers.
Some touts are very much active in these markets and the innocent publics are the victims.