Traders defy Dhaka North’s attempt to seal shops in risky Karwan Bazar market

Traders have forced the Dhaka North City Corporation to backtrack on its operation to seal shops in a Karwan Bazar market that has been at risk of collapse.

The traders started protests soon after the city corporation's mobile court arrived at the market at around 12 noon yesterday. In the face of the resistance, officials halted their operations when the situation went out of control.

Before leaving the place, they talked to the market committee and gave them two more weeks to vacate the risky building, although traders sought two months to do so.

"There is no scope to keep the building as it was declared abandoned long ago. Traders have been given several notices to this end," said Mutakabbir Ahmed, Dhaka North executive magistrate for region-5, who was leading the operation.

"Last month, we asked them to leave the market within two weeks. Even, I met the traders' leaders on Wednesday and gave a 24-hour-ultimatum. However, they did not pay heed to us," he told The Business Standard.

With 176 shops operating under precarious conditions, the building is at alarmingly high risk of collapse, he added and noted that a new market at Jatrabari has been prepared for the traders' relocation.

"We will gradually move towards sealing and demolishing all dangerous market buildings," Mutakabbir Ahmed insisted.

The two-storey market building in Karwan Bazar – known as Arat Bhaban – was identified as risky in 2010 by an expert team from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. It was declared abandoned in early 2019 and the traders were convinced to shift to Jatrabari. The city corporation has made the alternative arrangements accordingly, but traders have been showing a dilemma to move on. Meanwhile, the building has been enlisted in the recently prepared list of hazardous markets in the capital. Hence, DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam ordered the eviction drive Thursday.

When Mutakabbir Ahmed, along with his fellow officials and a police force, reached the market, traders came out of shops and blocked their entrance to the market. At one point, the situation deteriorated. Moments later, Karwan Bazar Relocation Committee President and Local Councilor (Ward-26) Shamim Hasan came. 

The Dhaka North officials then entered the building and tried to convince traders. Instead of participating in negotiation, the aggrieved traders started chanting different slogans. About half an hour passed amid such happenings. Being forced, the officials came out of the building.

They again spoke to the market committee and traders standing in front of the North City Zone-5 office. Traders then sought two months for relocation. In response, Shamim Hasan allowed two weeks, saying Dhaka North will come again on 25 May to seal the first floor of the building, which accommodates 176 shops.

The ground floor of the building is the kitchen market.