Corruption and lack of coordination in engineering, market circle and estate departments of the DCC are blamed for the situation.

To make things worse, about 50 injunctions, some of them imposed between 1984 and 1989 over the markets, put the DCC in a dilemma. Injunctions by the High Court came after different organisations filed cases against one another, staking a claim to the ownership of shops.

The major markets that are slipping into the hands of grabbers are block-D of Dhaka New Market, first floor of Mohammadpur Kitchen Market, second floor of Karwan Bazar Kitchen Market, Fulbaria City Super Market, part of Shah Ali Market in Mirpur and parts of Mohammadpur Krishi Panya Market, among others.

It is alleged that most markets have been occupied illegally in the name of some organisations, backed by politically influential people, including local commissioners. Sources alleged that some dishonest officials of the DCC are abetting the illegal occupiers.

"Forming an organisation is the first step to occupy the market," said a senior official at the DCC. "More and more organisations based on the markets are mushrooming," he added.

In the New Market alone grew dozens of organisations, including New Market Banik Samity and New Market Hawkers' Kalyan Bahumukhi Samabay Samity.

Only five organisations of them are registered with Trade Union: New Market Baboshai Samiti, New Super Market (south) Banik Samiti, Chandrima Super Market Baboshai Samiti, New Super Market (north) Banik Samiti and New Market Kancha Bazaar Baboshai Samiti.

The occupiers have grabbed 450 shops at the New Market since 1984.

Mockbul Hossain Sarder, joint secretary of Dhaka New Market (main) Baboshai Samiti, alleged that the DCC never moved against the so-called organisations and it is losing control of the markets.

"This is happening because of lack of coordination among the three departments and their involvement with the grabbers," said a DCC official. The occupiers became even more active as the DCC that has 105 markets, including 36 supermarkets, could not ensure security to the marketplaces, he added.

The DCC security patrol under the estate department is responsible for maintaining security of the markets, the market circle department distributes shops and collects revenues and the engineering department is in charge of construction.

"The estate department has tried to evict illegal occupiers several times, but the occupiers took back the possession of the markets overnight," said a senior official of the DCC.

The DCC formed a 'market distribution committee' led by its chief executive officer in June this year, with commissioners, top officials of engineering, revenue, estate and law departments as members. The deputy chief revenue officer (market) is member secretary of the committee.

Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka nominated all the members for construction, distribution and management of the markets.

In a recent interview with Star City, the mayor said the DCC would be active in collecting revenues and distributing the shops properly. About the court injunctions, he said the DCC has nothing to do with those and opportunists are cashing in on the situation.