Legal notice seeks action on occupied roads in Bangladesh

A Supreme Court lawyer has sent a legal notice demanding sustained action against illegal occupation of roads, sidewalks, and other public spaces in Bangladesh’s Dhaka and Gazipur cities.

Nazmul Hasan Rakib sent the notice Oct. 8 to government officials, city administrators, and police leaders. He gave authorities seven days to take necessary steps, warning that further legal action would follow otherwise.

Rakib said vendors repeatedly return after police remove them, narrowing roads and forcing pedestrians into traffic. He said encroachment causes congestion, threatens vulnerable pedestrians, and can obstruct ambulances and other emergency vehicles.

The notice asks authorities to identify major roads, intersections, sidewalks, and crowded public places, remove illegal occupations, and prevent renewed encroachment. It cites relevant policing laws. The demands are contained in a lawyer’s notice, rather than a court order.