Sidewalk shops in Mirpur-10 have all but disappeared after traders pre-emptively relocated their stalls upon learning of an impending eviction drive by Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC).
On Sunday, March 29, in the afternoon, vendors moved their merchandise from the footpath between Mirpur 10 roundabout and Hope Market.
By 3:30 pm, the once-crowded sidewalk stood largely empty as shopkeepers shifted operations to nearby lanes and the Home Market area.
The DNCC had scheduled the eviction operation to begin at 3 pm, with Administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan expected to attend.
However, the drive had not commenced by 3:30 pm, as traders had already cleared the area voluntarily.
Local vendors confirmed they acted on advance information about the operation. "We heard the drive was coming, so we moved our goods before any confrontation," said one trader who requested anonymity.
The DNCC's initiative aims to reclaim sidewalks from Mirpur-10's Hope Market to Mirpur-1's Raw Market. Authorities have long cited pedestrian safety and urban order as reasons for removing illegal structures from public footpaths.
It remains unclear whether the eviction drive will proceed now that the targeted stalls have been removed, or if authorities will conduct follow-up operations to prevent vendors from returning.