Dinajpur district is an ancient city with rich heritage. Even after 50 years of independence, the roads of Dinajpur are still occupied by hawkers and fruit traders. There is no one to watch even if the citizens suffer. People cannot cross the road of Bahadur Bazar in Dinajpur city in the morning due to extreme traffic condition created by hawkers and traders occupying both the sides of the roads.
As there is no drainage system, the roads of Dinajpur stays damp for almost all the times due to the constant selling of fishes in these roads. Pedestrians can't walk properly due to the stench of fishes. Poultry traders are not far behind. Until they enter the chicken market, their pickup van is on the road to unload the chickens which creates a bio-hazard in the area. Chicken waste is being dumped on the main road of Bahadur Bazar. One cannot cross the road without a handkerchief. When Dinajpur Municipality Mayor Syed Jahangir Alam's attention was drawn, he said that actions would be taken against pollution in the town.
Due to unplanned urbanization, Dinajpur has become a crowded city. Residents and Dinajpur municipality are breaking the rules and setting up various structures. All the roads in Dinajpur city are congested all day long. Starting from Station Road to Bahadur Bazar, various roads of Dinajpur city are jammed with traffic all day long. Due to the pressure of small vehicles, traffic jams continue on the main roads of Dinajpur city. As the narrow roads and sidewalks are occupied by traders, walking has become a liability. In this situation, the people of Dinajpur have to suffer for hours.
Meanwhile, due to unplanned urbanization, Dinajpur has now become a crowded city. Somewhere the residents, somewhere the Dinajpur municipality itself is breaking the rules and setting up various establishments.In this situation, Dinajpur city could not proceed according to the rules even in a decade of development of the union starting from the municipality. According to the locals, Dinajpur municipality is proceeding irregularly. Halima Begum Sadia, secretary general of the Universal Foundation, said the whole city was built in a crowded environment. The buildings are being constructed without any plan. These were not prevented. No rules are followed in the area. That is why both traffic and congestion have increased.
On January 17, 2021, BNP candidate Syed Jahangir Alam won the post of mayor for the third term. He then announced a 25-point election manifesto. The first of these was the reduction of traffic congestion in the city. After being elected mayor, he did not take any effective steps to reduce traffic congestion. Conversely, three wheelers, battery-powered rickshaws and CNG-powered auto-rickshaws have shown flexibility. This has increased the number of vehicles on the 55 km road in 12 wards of the city. The main roads are congested all the time. Thousands of vehicles entered the city from villages after the latest ban was lifted in the wake of the Corona infection situation.
For two hours on Friday morning, the reporter saw at least six important roads in the city, one side of the city's Bahadur Bazaar occupied by sidewalk traders, Jail Road is in total gridlock. Due to heavy traffic around Lili square, Sadar Hospital junction, Phulbari bus stand and heavy vehicles of EPZ, the people of Dinajpur were suffering immensely. The inter-city buses do not enter the bus terminal and picks up and drops off passengers from within the road. There are severe traffic jams in front of Gulshan, Mordanmor, Mahdahapatti, Paharpur, Kotwali Thana junction and Suihari Bazar. Private cars and microbuses struggle to move within the city.
"I can't drive a private car because of the nuisance of easy-bikes. I travel by rickshaw. There is no discipline on the road”, said a businessperson Mursalin of the city.
According to municipal sources, the number of auto easy-bikes registered in Dinajpur city is about 4,000. Battery powered rickshaws have no registration. CNG-powered auto-rickshaws are also running without any registration. Easy-bike, auto rickshaw fares were not fixed at various points of the city. As a result, quarrels with the passengers have become a daily story.
Talks were held with the Mayor of Dinajpur Municipality Syed Jahangir Alam at noon. He said, "Many people will become unemployed if the traffic congestion is reduced. This will make the drivers of small vehicles on the road jobless. We are still trying to reduce traffic congestion. We want half the vehicles in the morning and the other half in the afternoon. '
Dilalpur municipality panel mayor Dulal said there are 5,201 foot-registered rickshaws registered in the municipality. Outside, battery-powered rickshaws and easy-bikes ply. There are at least 35,000 easy-bikes.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) Dinajpur sources said that there are more than 30,000 easy-bikes and auto-rickshaws in the entire district. There are thousands of easy-bikes in Dinajpur city ply without registration.
Occupied by sidewalk traders, Most of the sidewalks within 30 kilometers of Dinajpur city are occupied by traders. Among them are medium and even big businessmen. However, sitting on the sidewalk, the power of small traders is more. Walking in the city has also been narrowed due to the sale of goods in vans. From the city's Pulhat to Bahadur Bazar-Old Bahadur Bazar, the sidewalks on both sides are occupied by shopkeepers. They have arranged the goods on the pavement. The situation is similar around Golkuthi to General Hospital. The same picture from Kachari Road to Police Lines. Banana and fruit traders occupy the sidewalks of Station Road, Bahadur Bazar, Sadar Hospital Road, Lilimore Jail Road area, which are known as biliary properties. Many shopkeepers are also selling various goods and raw materials and winter clothes, various kinds of products have been put up by spreading beds or stools on the street.
Station Road, across the road from M Abdur Rahim Medical College Hospital, Dinajpur General (Sadar) Hospital junction, from Fulbari Bus Stand to Suihari Road, occupied by banana and fruit traders.
Haji Mohammad Danesh University of Science and Technology, Professor Dr. Department of Entomology. Abdul Ahad said, "In order to widen the roads and keep the sidewalks, all the unplanned buildings have to be demolished like in Singapore." There is still time to work on the master plan. If the administration, politicians, businessmen and civil society come together, it is possible to develop a well-organized city. '