In Gulistan, New Market, Mirpur and several other areas the hawkers are now found doing business on footpaths right under the law enforcers' nose.

Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) evicted hawkers from footpaths at the key traffic points to facilitate smooth movement of pedestrians. The DCC later set up 10 holiday markets in different areas for the evicted hawkers under a rehabilitation scheme.

But very recently, the hawkers have been allowed to sit at eight traffic points again. Moreover, taking the advantage of little monitoring by the DCC staff, the hawkers also occupy footpaths in some restricted zones.

According to a DCC spokesman, the city corporation recently allowed hawkers to sit regularly at the footpaths adjacent of Alam Market in Jurain, Samad Super Market and Shaheed Faruque Road in Jatrabari, Bangabandhu Avenue Link Road and Baitul Mukarram Link Road, southern side of Shahbagh crossing, Doyel Chattar at Dhaka University, Indira Road and Amtoli in Tejgaon and Mirpur Stadium area.

Apart from these spots, the hawkers sit in the weekly holiday markets on footpaths between Matsya Bhaban and Segunbagicha crossing, between Pir Jangi Mazar and T&T College in Motijheel, in front of Bishal Centre at Moghbazar and Polwel Market in Naya Paltan, between Golapshah Mazar and Zero Point, Dilkusha commercial area, between Mouchak Market and Anarkali Market, link road between Elephant Road and Bangla Motor, between old Elephant Road and Gausia Market, and in front of Bashundhara City.

DCC assured the hawkers that no one would collect toll from them at the holiday markets while no hawkers would be allowed to construct any structure at the spots. Selling of kitchen market goods is totally banned at the holiday markets.

However, this correspondent found a large number of hawkers doing business in the non-allowed zones in Gulistan, Nilkhet and New Market areas, Mirpur section 1 and 10, Pallabi and Rokeya Sarani with the law enforcers turning a blind eye to them.

Kamruzzaman Chowdhury, chief of the Estate Department of DCC, said his department does not have any mechanism for monitoring the footpaths. "We just evict unauthorised occupants from the footpaths after getting report from the zone offices."

He said that Traffic Engineering Department have one road inspector for every zone who monitors illegal occupation of the footpaths.

Talking to Star City, Azad, a garment vendor on Mirpur Road, said he had been doing business near Dhaka Stadium area four months ago before the authorities evicted hawkers from the area. Then he came to New Market area.

"I lost all my capital during the eviction drive. Then I took loan from an NGOto restart my business. I don't know why DCC evicted us," said Azad.

Asked why he is doing business in an unauthorised place, he said he has to pay toll for it. But he declined to say who are collecting toll from the hawkers there.