Ctg street vendors spill onto roads, pushing pedestrians to accidents
Locals say that until 5 August, 2024, the number of mobile vendors in the area was relatively low. In recent months, however, the number of stalls, vans, and temporary booths has surged.
Mobile vendors in many parts of Chattogram are no longer confined to sidewalks and have increasingly encroached onto roads, disrupting traffic and heightening the risk of accidents for pedestrians and vehicles alike.
According to an internal survey by the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), about 71% of sidewalks in the city are now partially or fully occupied by illegal and temporary stalls as well as parked vehicles, rendering many footpaths unusable. As a result, pedestrians are often forced to walk on busy roads, exposing them to serious safety risks.
The problem is particularly acute at the Jamal Khan intersection. Locals say that until 5 August, 2024, the number of mobile vendors in the area was relatively low. In recent months, however, the number of stalls, vans, and temporary booths has surged.
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With large portions of sidewalks taken over, pedestrians are now compelled to navigate through moving traffic.
Similar scenes can be found along several major thoroughfares, including Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula Road, Momin Road, Telipatti Road, KB Fazlul Quader Road, JM Sen Avenue, and Jamal Khan Road.
Economic pressures behind rising number of street hawkers
Experts and local officials cite multiple factors behind the rapid expansion of mobile vending, including the scarcity of formal employment, inflation, rising urban living costs, and barriers to entering the formal economy.
According to the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC), the city has approximately 300 kilometres of sidewalks. From afternoon until nightfall each day, around 25,000 hawkers set up stalls across various locations, occupying nearly 30 kilometres of footpaths daily.
Dr Moinul Islam, a retired professor of economics at the University of Chattogram, said that although operating businesses on sidewalks is illegal, many people are driven to such work due to a lack of alternatives. He noted that blanket evictions without rehabilitation plans would be unrealistic and counterproductive.
He suggested that authorities consider measures such as additional markets, underground markets, and time-based business zones to better manage the situation.
Many street vendors are students and educated youths who, unable to secure formal jobs, view vending as a viable way to cover education and family expenses. Street food businesses, in particular, have emerged as a practical self-employment option requiring relatively low capital.
According to a 2024 survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the country has 26–27 lakh unemployed people, with around 5,84,000 in the Chattogram division—the second-highest after Dhaka. A significant portion of this workforce relies on the informal sector for survival.
Dr Naeem Uddin Hassan Aurangzeb Chowdhury, associate professor of economics at the University of Chattogram, said street vending has already created substantial employment. Abruptly shutting it down, he warned, would have severe income consequences for many families. Instead, he urged authorities to develop safe and planned alternatives.
Accidents rising, pedestrians face elevated risk
Sidewalk encroachment has had a direct impact on road safety. Data from the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) show that 662 people were killed in road accidents in Chattogram between 2017 and 2024, of whom 368 -- or 56% -- were pedestrians. The city also ranks 12th among the world's 20 slowest cities.
Sidratul Muntaha, president of Youth People of Bangladesh, said illegal shops and structures are causing severe traffic congestion, making it difficult to transport patients to hospitals during emergencies.
Aminur Rashid, public relations officer of the Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP), said the number of hawkers has increased at an abnormal rate. He added that the police would provide full cooperation if the city corporation initiates coordinated action.
A CDA survey also found that 97% of city roads are partially occupied, while 64% lack safe pedestrian crossings.
Chattogram City Corporation Secretary Mohammad Ashraful Amin said mobile courts are being conducted to evict encroachers, but complete eviction is not feasible as it would threaten livelihoods. He said plans are underway to rehabilitate mobile traders through additional and underground markets, and temporary vending zones at specific times and zones. Plans also include providing the vendors with identity cards, he added.
Overall, the occupation of sidewalks and roads in Chattogram has evolved into a crisis that extends beyond urban management, intersecting with issues of economic hardship, employment, and public safety. Without sustainable solutions, officials warn that the risk of accidents will continue to rise.
