Play store
The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has reclaimed a long-encroached footpath in the capital’s Segunbagicha area and launched a beautification programme featuring graffiti of 10 prominent figures from Bangladesh’s arts and cultural heritage.
The renovated footpath, opposite the boundary wall of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, has been reopened to pedestrians with new dustbins and benches for public use. The boundary wall has also been repaired as part of the initiative.
The graffiti features personalities including poet Rabindranath Tagore, National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, mystic Lalon Shah, Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, filmmaker Satyajit Ray and actor Humayun Faridi.
DSCC Administrator Md Abdus Salam inaugurated the beautification work on Monday.
He said the corporation wanted to develop the area around the Shilpakala Academy into a clean cultural environment and ensure that the reclaimed footpath remained accessible to pedestrians.
The DSCC has also warned that hawkers will not be allowed to reoccupy roads or footpaths after eviction. Anyone returning to the prohibited areas could face legal action and seizure of goods, according to the corporation.
At the same time, the DSCC said it was considering the livelihoods of hawkers and had arranged alternative spaces for them. A “holiday market” has been introduced near Pir Yameni Mazar on Fridays and Saturdays, while another designated area has been made available on other days.
The initiative is intended to combine pedestrian access with public amenities and cultural elements, giving a previously occupied stretch of the capital a more open and visually attractive character.
The DSCC has also called on the Shilpakala Academy and residents to help maintain cleanliness and protect the newly developed public space.