Dhaka: Hawkers Samannoy Parishad, a platform for street vendors, on Tuesday demanded the city authorities rehabilitate them stopping the current eviction against them.

The Parishad activists came up with the demand at a rally held in front of the Jatiya Press Club.

Several hundred hawkers from different parts of the city joined the rally to press for their 10-point demand, including formation of a hawker rehabilitation policy before evicting them from city roads and footpaths.

Addressing the rally, Abul Hossain, coordinator of the platform, said the city corporation’s current eviction drive in the name of keeping footpaths free from occupation is ‘inhuman’, triggering anger among the hawkers.

He alleged that the eviction drive has not been conducted following the Prime Minister’s directives to rehabilitate the hawkers first before going for such an action.

The Hawkers Samannoy Parishad leaders said they believe the eviction of hawkers before their rehabilitation is a violation of human rights.

They urged the authorities concerned to take steps for formulating a hawker rehabilitation policy in consultation with the representatives of vendors’ organisations.

The hawker leaders said they are ready to provide all-out cooperation to the authorities to this end.

Earlier on Monday, Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Syed Khokon said the drive to keep the footpaths in Gulistan and its adjoining areas free from hawkers during office hours will continue.

On January 11, a decision was taken not to allow any hawker to sit in Gulistan and its adjoining areas during office hours for the smooth movement of vehicles and pedestrians.