Dhaka: Dhaka North City mayor Annisul Huq on Thursday warned shop owners that they would face legal action if they failed to remove in a week their goods stored in front of their shops.

Eviction drives are already underway, but would be in full force after 10 March, he said while speaking at a discussion in Dhaka on businessmen’s role in assuaging public sufferings.

The mayor asked the shop-owners not to occupy even an inch of public space to store their goods.

Annisul also asked the shop-owners to dump their wastes in designated trash bins, rather than throwing those at erratic spots. DCC waste cleaners will pick the garbage up at night and ensure that the locations are clean, he said.

Heads of various shop owners’ associations attended the seminar and extended support to the mayor’s drive and directives.

President of Bangladesh Shop Owners’ Association SA Quader Kiron and chairman of Gulshan DCC Market Sheikh Mohammad, among others, were present at the seminar.