The Dhaka North City Corporation has begun renting out roads adjacent to footpaths in several busy areas, including Gulshan, Banani, Agargaon and Uttara.
Urban experts, however, warn that the move could intensify traffic congestion and obstruct pedestrian movement.
According to a work order issued on September 15, a 400-square-foot road space, 80 feet long and 5 feet wide, to the north of the city corporation market at Gulshan 1 under Zone 3 has already been leased out for food carts.
The space was temporarily allotted to Omar Faruq, owner of Executive Kitchen Catering and Events based at Kakrail Supermarket, for Tk 2.88 lakh for two years.
The lease requires the renter to deposit the amount into the city corporation fund, along with a 15 per cent value-added tax of Tk 43,200 and Tk 28,800 in income tax to the government treasury.
The terms specify that the temporary food cart must not inconvenience pedestrians or obstruct traffic and all structures must be removed after the approved period.
During a visit to the site on Thursday, a tin-roofed permanent iron structure was, however, found being erected on the footpath, forcing pedestrians to walk on the road.
The corporation鈥檚 administrator Mohammad Azaz acknowledged the violation, saying the corporation had approved the site only for food carts but that the renter had 鈥榦ver-enthusiastically鈥� started building permanent structures.
鈥業 have already given instructions to stop the work. The structure will be pulled down,鈥� he said on Friday.
Azaz said that the DNCC plans to rent out road spaces adjacent to footpaths, especially in areas with wider, less congested roads such as Gulshan, Banani, Uttara and Agargaon, to accommodate licensed vendors.
鈥楾here are already many illegal hawkers on the footpaths. We now want to have legal ones,鈥� he said, describing the initiative as a pilot project.
鈥榃e will rent the spaces for two, three or six months and observe the outcome. People with trade licences can apply,鈥� he added, noting that renters can decide whether to sell food or other items.
Urban planners have sharply criticised the initiative. The Bangladesh Institute of Planners president, Adil Mohammed Khan, on Friday said that the city corporation had 鈥榥o authority鈥� to rent out roads or footpaths.
鈥楢 city should have at least 25 per cent of its area allocated for roads, but Dhaka has only about 7 per cent,鈥� he said.
鈥楾here are already enough shops in this traffic-stricken city. What we need are proper footpaths and roads so that people can walk and vehicles can move smoothly,鈥� he added, calling the initiative 鈥榠n no way justified.鈥�
Another letter, issued on September 30, has sought the opinion of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner regarding an application by Soul Brothers Creative Solution, submitted on June 17, to 鈥榖eautify鈥� a footpath and set up hawker stalls 鈥榠n a disciplined way.鈥�
The corporation agreed to rent out the space on a pilot basis for six months from the date of opening, subject to police permission. The letter, however, did not specify the location of the footpath or the area concerned.