In various parts of Dhaka, temporary street markets have now spilled over from the sidewalks onto the main roads, creating severe disruptions in traffic flow and causing significant hardship for commuters. People are seen halting motorcycles and private cars right in the middle of the road to shop from roadside vendors, turning short trips into long delays. Office workers and daily commuters face extreme inconvenience, while piles of waste from these informal markets are contributing to environmental degradation.

Following recent political shifts, these makeshift markets have expanded aggressively, occupying major thoroughfares in busy areas like Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Badda, and Jatrabari. Public buses are picking up and dropping off passengers wherever they please, and private vehicles are often parked haphazardly on the roads, worsening the situation.

First-hand observations show that neither buyers nor sellers seem to care about the congestion they’re causing. Meanwhile, ordinary citizens are forced to engage in what feels like a daily struggle just to reach their destinations. Vendors even claim ownership of government land, setting up permanent stalls on public property.

Attempts by authorities to clear the roads often result in a back-and-forth chase, as vendors return shortly after being removed. City officials and police cite manpower shortages as a key challenge. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) emphasizes that collaboration among all stakeholders, including the public, is necessary to restore order to the city streets.

According to DMP Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Talebur Rahman, removing a vendor is not enough if they simply return afterward. Meanwhile, Kaiser Mohammad Farabi, the chief property officer of Dhaka South City Corporation, noted that they lack the infrastructure to maintain a continuous presence on the streets, calling for broader coordination with law enforcement and other agencies.

As the situation drags on, residents of Dhaka are growing increasingly frustrated. With valuable working hours lost in traffic and pedestrian movement hampered, citizens are urging the authorities to find a lasting solution to the chaos caused by these unregulated roadside markets.