Dhaka, April 6 -- After eviction drives in Dhaka, illegal shops on roads and footpaths are quickly being reoccupied.

Some vendors avoid fully reopening to sidestep trouble but continue small-scale business, while others wait, hoping to resume once police monitoring eases.

The city's clearance drives resemble an endless "rat race", where enforcement and evasion occur in quick succession.

On Sunday, police acknowledged that clearing footpaths alone cannot ensure compliance.

They seek support from government agencies and citizens while continuing "follow-up operations" to maintain order.

The drives began after Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, 15 days into the new government, consulted traffic experts on Mar 2 to ease congestion.

On Mar 2...