Dhaka, April 1 -- In a bid to restore public space, authorities have jailed 23 people on the first day of a citywide campaign to remove illegal shops and encroachments from footpaths and roads.

Authorities also collected fines totalling around Tk 192,000 during the daylong campaign on Wednesday.

The drive began after 10am across the capital.

While there was some resistance in places, no major untoward incidents were reported.

DMP Additional Commissioner (Traffic) Anisur Rahman told bdnews24.com, "There have been no major problems. People are cooperating. We will continue such drives with the support of Dhaka residents and keep footpaths free."

The drive is set to continue until Apr 5, according to a traffic police statement issued on...