Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan has said the municipal body's eviction drives will continue until all footpaths are cleared of illegal encroachments.

He made the remarks while overseeing a two-phase eviction drive, conducted in the morning and afternoon, to remove illegal structures and encroachments from footpaths in Section 1 of Mirpur in Dhaka.

The administrator said clearing the footpaths of illegal encroachments had been a long-standing demand of residents of Mirpur, including Shah Ali, Darus Salam and neighbouring wards.

“I promised the city residents that every footpath would be cleared of encroachments one by one, and this drive is part of that promise,” he said.

Khan said unscrupulous hawkers and encroachers had long been occupying roads and footpaths for business, depriving city residents of their right to walk freely.

He said ordinary citizens and leaders of various market committees had repeatedly complained to him about the problem.

Ensuring public access to footpaths is a moral obligation, he added.

Referring to the vision of a “Clean Dhaka, Green Dhaka”, Khan said no attempt to obstruct the initiative would be allowed to succeed.

He also said no conspiracy to undermine the people's mandate or bypass law enforcement agencies would succeed.

Similar drives to clear roads and footpaths would be conducted systematically across Dhaka, he added.

The operation was conducted by a mobile court led by DNCC Executive Magistrate Marufa Akter Nelly, with cooperation from police, DNCC officials and local residents.

The DNCC administration reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring public mobility and protecting footpaths, while seeking cooperation from city residents.