Encroachment reduces 100-foot Madani Avenue to just 10 feet

Hawkers, battery-run auto-rickshaws and illegally parked vehicles have occupied large sections of Madani Avenue in the capital’s Vatara area, leaving just 10 feet of the 100-foot-wide road open in some places and worsening traffic congestion.

A visit to the area found makeshift shops and stalls occupying footpaths and extending onto the main road. Local residents said nearly 90 feet of the road had been encroached upon in some places.

The encroachment disrupts traffic during peak hours, forcing commuters to endure long delays. With footpaths blocked, pedestrians, including women and children, have to walk alongside moving vehicles or use the carriageway, increasing accident risks.

Battery-run auto-rickshaws further disrupt traffic, with drivers seen changing lanes abruptly, travelling against traffic, stopping indiscriminately and picking up or dropping off passengers in the middle of the road.

Haphazard parking along both sides of the avenue and near junctions further narrows the passage. Congestion becomes more severe in the evening as pedestrian and vehicle movements increase.

Office-goers, students and local residents face daily delays, while residents warn that traffic congestion could prevent ambulances, fire service vehicles and police from reaching emergencies promptly.

They have called for the removal of illegal encroachments, an end to unauthorised parking and stricter regulation of battery-run auto-rickshaws.

They said regular monitoring and enforcement were essential to restore traffic flow and ensure pedestrian safety.

Mohammad Siraj Mia, a resident of an area adjacent to the 100-foot road, said the obstruction of footpaths had made daily movement difficult for local people.

“There is traffic congestion all the time—morning, afternoon, evening and night—because of the encroached footpaths and illegal auto-rickshaw stands,” he said.

Mohammad Tarek Zubair, deputy commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Gulshan Traffic Division, told Bangladesh Pratidin that the authorities were monitoring the occupation of the 100-foot road by makeshift shops.

“Everyone is now busy with security arrangements for Durga Puja. Once the festival is over, we will conduct mobile court drives in coordination with the Crime Division to clear the entire road of encroachments,” he said.