Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Md Safiqul Islam Khan on Saturday issued a stern warning to illegal occupants, declaring an unyielding campaign to reclaim public footpaths for pedestrians while launching a three-month blitz to eradicate dengue.
Speaking in the city’s Mirpur area whilst inaugurating a special cleanliness week aimed at destroying Aedes mosquito larvae, the DNCC chief made it clear that the era of polite warnings is over.
The city authorities had previously served formal notices to traders and vendors occupying walkways, but the lack of compliance has now triggered a zero-tolerance stance.
“Now there will be no more notices. Wherever a footpath is occupied, mobile court drives will be conducted to remove the illegal occupation and restore the footpaths for public use. There will be no compromise on this issue,” Khan warned, iterating that safe, unobstructed walkways are a fundamental right of the public.
Underlining that the people are the ultimate source of power, the administrator pledged full alignment with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s directive to make Dhaka North dengue-free within three months.
Khan disclosed that 10 executive magistrates are currently heading mobile courts across residential areas, educational institutions, and commercial establishments, taking swift legal action wherever breeding larvae are detected. To bolster public engagement, open letters are being distributed through local representatives and regional officers to encourage neighborhood vigilance.
Following the launch, the DNCC chief led an awareness rally and personally oversaw an eviction drive dismantling illegal stalls in Mirpur-10’s Falpatti area, warning that swift action would follow should hawkers attempt to return. In a bid to curb littering along major transit corridors, special waste bins were installed beneath the Metro Rail alignment to encourage local shopkeepers to dispose of refuse responsibly.
Khan also expressed sharp irritation over the unsightly wall-writing, posters, and leaflets plastered across Metro Rail pillars by commercial entities and political groups.
Issuing a strict 72-hour ultimatum to clear the structures, he directed officials to wipe the pillars clean, affirming that the city corporation will take all necessary steps to safeguard the capital’s aesthetics and cleanliness.
