In mega city Dhaka, traffic jam is a serious problem acting as retardation to our economic activities. In addition, blocking of footpaths by small businessmen is causing deceleration to our everyday movement. The law enforcers off and on conduct drives to evict these small businessmen to clear the footpaths and other public thoroughfares. But the outcome is not satisfactory.There are so many myths and truths on circulation pertaining on to how the footpath bazaars are being operated and protected. But I wouldn’t go for that discussion. My question is, where would these small businessmen go? After all they are struggling to earn their livelihood in an honest way of course by illegally occupying the footpaths!
It is true that the Government has been taking fruitful steps to rehabilitating these people, for instance, by setting up so many hawkers’ markets.
In fact, our capital and other big cities are burdened with huge population many of whom migrated to capital and cities for cash earnings. Why it’s so? Our villages and rural areas are no more an effective place for economic activities and income generation. If we take the example of Agriculture, the main occupation of the rural people, it is not yielding expected economic returns: for one reason or other, farmers are not getting due prices of their produce, there isn’t enough mills and factories where rural people can work to earn their breads. Moreover the rural people are yet to have all those essential facilities enjoyed by the urban people like income- generating units, power, good communication system, security, etc.
True, our resources are too limited, still the Government can intensify its efforts to make rural life safe, secured and attractive so that rural people may not feel the urge for migrating to the cities in search for better earnings.
Yours truly,
Professor M Zahidul Haque
Department of Agricultural Extension & Information System
Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University
Dhaka.
