Disgruntled hawkers, workers block roads
Two separate protests—one by jute mill workers demanding arrears in pay and the other, hawkers demanding the right to occupy pavements in the run up to the Eid festivities effectively caused terrible gridlocks for pedestrians on the first day of Ramadan. It seems that blocking roads in the city and nation's highways has become normal for any group to ventilate its grievances. Although they may have legitimate demands, resorting to measures that cause not only immense sufferings to commuters but also block the movement of goods, as we have witnessed in Demra and Jatrabari areas, is not warranted.
Authorities need to sit with hawkers and work out timetables for these vendors to ply their trade. People belonging to lower income groups buy their necessities from these hawkers and so they do meet the demands of thousands of city dwellers, particularly during Ramadan. Similarly, the fact that jute workers have not been paid salaries for the last two months needs to be looked into by the concerned ministry and emergency funds need to be released on the occasion of the upcoming Eid festival. However, we cannot condone the ad-hoc blocking of crucial roads and highways that causes misery to millions of people who try and get home on time to break their fast during Ramadan. People should be able to return to their residences on time, and all parties must be willing to sit down and find an amicable solution to these impasses. Creating disruptions in the name of getting attention cannot be the way of ventilating grievances, even if the grievances are genuine.
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