Restaurant owners urge govt to stop eviction

Owners of restaurants in Gulshan, Banani and Dhanmondi yesterday urged the government to stop its eviction drive and allow them to operate, considering their contribution to the economy and job creation. 

“Our existence is under threat,” said Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, managing director of Cold Stone Creamery and Watercress.

In April this year, the cabinet gave a six-month deadline to shift illegal and commercial establishments from residential neighbourhoods to designated areas. The deadline expired on October 4.

The issue drew more attention after the Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan's diplomatic zone came under militant attacks on July 1.

“We are not getting authorised space. Whenever we get some space the property owners ask for abnormally high rents,” Ahmed told a roundtable on the opportunities and challenges facing the restaurant industry in Dhaka, held at The Daily Star Centre.

The Daily Star organised the roundtable in association with Dhaka Foodiez, an online community of food lovers.

The restaurants have borrowed loans from banks and invested huge sums of money, said Ashraf Ud Dowla, director of operations of BBQ Bangladesh. “Eviction is not a solution.”

If the restaurants are evicted, many people will lose jobs, said Mahmudul Hassan, owner of Al Fresco.

“As a result, people will be unemployed, and an unemployed person can do anything for money. We should be given at least one year to relocate.”

The restaurant business in Dhaka city has grown in the last one decade, said Ashiqur Rahman, founder of Dhaka Foodiez.

In 2006, there were 100 restaurants, mostly serving fast food, along with a handful of international chains for the upper class.

Today, there are 1,250 proper restaurants in Dhaka alone, serving world cuisine and local delicacy, Rahman said, adding that 4.5 million people are employed in the sector.

But after the Holey Artisan terror attacks, the industry took a big hit, with 72 restaurants closing down.

Speaking at the roundtable, both the mayors of Dhaka South and Dhaka North city corporations said the city needs the restaurants.

They backed a “go-slow” approach in executing the government plan as it is not possible to relocate the restaurants overnight.

The cabinet's decision is correct but perhaps the modalities are not, said Annisul Huq, mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation.

“In order to execute the decision, we should go slow as we need these restaurants. Where will these people go? They can't shift to other parts of the city overnight.”

The move to establish order in the restaurant business is not new, as the Dhaka North City Corporation sat with 200 people from the sector five months before the Holy Artisan attack took place.

“The cabinet also had not taken the decision at the time. We called the meeting because something was not right and we want to make it right. The common people have complained that there are too many restaurants in the residential areas,” said Huq.

The sector should immediately take steps to improve security before the government takes any decision, said the mayor.

The North City Corporation will not allow parking in front of restaurants and businesses in basements from March 1 next year.

“You should be proactive. You should take measures about security and parking as well as establish discipline so that private life is not hampered.”

Huq said most people who are doing restaurant business in commercial space in residential areas do not have trade licences. As a result, they are facing eviction.

The mayor also said the North City Corporation sat with diplomats and foreigners a couple of weeks ago.

“They identified security as the top most priority for them. They also think that there should be restaurants and other establishments in residential areas.”

Huq went on to recommend the restaurant owners form a community voice to negotiate with the government.

Mohammad Sayeed Khokon, mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation, supported the 'mixed use' as seen in other major cities globally, where restaurants are allowed to operate in residential areas.

“It would be difficult to return Dhanmondi, Banani and Gulshan to a purely residential area. Restaurants are parts of the components that make a city vibrant.” 

“There is no doubt that we need these restaurants. We need restaurants to make Dhaka a thriving city. We have to convince the government departments dealing with the issue.”

Khokon said some restaurants in residential areas such as Gulshan, Banani and Dhanmondi should be allowed to operate under a legal framework.

“At the same time, if a big restaurant is set up in a residential area it will disturb the environment. A significant number of cars might be parked in front of the restaurant, hampering the smooth movements of cars of nearby residential buildings.” He said a balance needs to be struck.

If the restaurants are evicted new investors will not come into the industry, said Affan Chowdhury, co-founder of George's Café.

Many countries allow restaurants in residential areas. The city corporations can set up a centralised parking area and it could be made compulsory for restaurants to use it, he added.

The thriving meat processing sector has been acting as import substitution and helping the local sector grow, said AFM Asif, chief executive officer of Bengal Meat Processing Industries. 

Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of The Daily Star, said Dhaka itself is a victim of unplanned urbanisation and restaurants are part of that unplanned urbanisation.

He said the sector should take some proactive measures in a bid to discipline itself.

“The future of the sector is very bright and it will only grow as more people are joining the middle class.”

Anam said the city needs a thriving restaurant business along with security and the rule of law.

“This is already a high revenue generating industry. They pay taxes to the government exchequer and generate employment. So, they should be treated with more seriousness than they are being treated at the moment.”

“At the same time, the restaurants must comply with the laws and regulations. If they comply they should also get the protection of the law.”

Pankaj Neeraj, senior vice-president at Orion Restaurants Ltd; Zeeshan Khurshed Mazumder, owner of Veni Vidi Vici; Tarek Rafi Bhuiyan, owner of Kobe Steak & Sea Food; FM Murshed Elahy, head of operations of Gloria Jean's Coffees; Khaled Yusuf Farazi, owner of Moka Bistro; Labib Tarafder, owner of Nomads; and Jahangir Alam Milu, owner of Fusion Hut, were also present.