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Removal of illegal Bangladeshi hawkers top priority for new mayor Ritu Tawde

Says issue will be raised in first meeting with BMC commissioner as Opposition seeks accountability and civic officials flag legal limits

Written by: Nayonika Bose, Pratip Acharya

4 min readMumbaiUpdated: Feb 11, 2026 10:51 PM IST

Mayor Ritu Tawde and Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi. (Express Photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)

illegal Bangladeshi hawkers from encroached streets has emerged as a key priority for Ritu Tawde after she took charge as Mumbai’s 78th mayor on Wednesday. Tawde said the issue would be taken up in her first meeting with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, with a focus on scrutinising documents of hawkers operating on city footpaths.

“Today, one of the biggest concerns for the tax payers is the need for walkable footpaths. A key factor behind the lack of sufficient space on footpaths is encroachments by the illegal hawkers from Bangladesh. Alongside development works, we will work hard towards removal of these Bangladeshi hawkers. My first meeting with the municipal commissioner will be pertaining to this issue of Bangladeshi hawkers who illegally occupy footpaths,” Tawde said while addressing the media.

According to the mayor, the proposed removal drive would involve inspection of hawkers’ identification documents, including Aadhaar cards, to ascertain whether they are legal residents of the city. She said the BJP had already issued letters across vibhags (wards) to flag the issue among party representatives ahead of her meeting with the civic chief.

As the Mahayuti government sharpens its focus on identifying and removing illegal Bangladeshi hawkers, Opposition leaders said they would seek accountability on the exercise. Sena (UBT) corporator and former mayor Kishori Pednekar said the Opposition would demand regular updates on the drive. “With the administration keen on crackdown upon Bangladeshi immigrants, we will be asking mayor every month as to how many of such illegal immigrants have been identified and how many have been deported by the administration,” Pednekar said.

Tawde, meanwhile, said groundwork for the drive had already begun through inspections conducted over the past two months. “For the past two months, we have been doing surprise visits across the wards. During our inspection, we go to hawkers and ask for their Aadhar cards where we often find that two or three hawkers have the same date of birth or place of birth. It is a clear indication that the hawker in question is an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant. During my drives, I have found maximum of such cases in N ward. To ensure that they are removed, we will be carrying out similar inspections to check their Aadhar card papers,” she said.

Over the past few months, BJP’s youth wing, along with senior leaders such as Kirit Somaiya, has intensified drives to identify Bangladeshi Muslim street vendors across the city. On February 6, Somaiya led an inspection drive outside Mulund railway station in the presence of Mumbai police and BMC officials. “We have launched the Bangladeshi Muslim hawker-free Mumbai drive wherein we will ensure that hawkers over 100 metres of space outside Mulund station will be cleared, In the next 15 days, other areas of eastern suburbs like Ghatkopar, Bhandup, Kanjurmarg, Vidyavihar will be made Bangladeshi Muslim ferrywala mukt,” Somaiya had said.

As a part of the drive, the BMC on Wednesday said that nearly 61 illegal structures were razed outside the Mulund station, clearing nearly 1,000 square metres of land parcel.

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Civic officials, however, said the BMC’s powers remain limited in determining nationality. “While we can check for permits, we have no authority to check whether they are Bangladeshis. We can only carry out such drives if we have been issued directives or any rules are amended,” a senior official said, adding that ward-level staff are empowered to remove unauthorised hawkers operating without civic permits.

According to official BMC data, Mumbai currently has 32,415 authorised hawkers. However, hawkers’ unions estimate the total number of hawkers in the city to be between 3.5 lakh and 4 lakh. In an attempt to address the issue, the civic body had earlier proposed a hawkers’ policy aimed at identifying legal hawkers and creating designated hawking zones. The proposal, however, could not be implemented in the absence of an elected body.

On Wednesday, Tawde said the implementation of the hawkers’ policy would be a key issue taken up in the House, with plans to categorise hawkers into designated zones marked with signages.

Separately, police data shows that Mumbai police have intensified action against undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh since 2025, with 1,061 Bangladeshis rounded up and deported last year.

Nayonika Bose

Nayonika Bose is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express’ Mumbai bureau. While in the early stages of her career, her focused reporting on local governance and community welfare already demonstrates clear Expertise and Trustworthiness in covering essential civic issues impacting Mumbai's residents. Expertise & Authority (E-E-A-T) Specialized Focus: Nayonika's reporting is dedicated to civic and community issues, providing readers with highly relevant, ground-level information about the functionality and administration of India's largest metropolitan area. Core Coverage Areas: Her articles highlight a strong focus on the fundamental quality of life and public safety in Mumbai, including: Civic Infrastructure: Reports on critical failures and initiatives related to public works, such as the recurring problem of unauthorized building collapses in Navi Mumbai, the construction of new infrastructure projects (like the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road and the Mahalaxmi cable-stayed bridge), and the maintenance of essential city services (e.g., manhole cover theft). Urban Governance & Crisis Management: Provides detailed coverage of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) response to major crises, particularly during the monsoon (e.g., heavy rainfall, water cuts, and public health concerns like dengue and malaria) and large-scale public safety incidents (e.g., the hoarding collapse fallout). Community Welfare & Rights: Reports on key social issues, including the financial aid scheme for persons with disabilities, the struggles of Mumbai's hawkers protesting eviction drives, and the dangers faced by workers due to the continuation of manual scavenging in water tanks. Cultural & Heritage Reporting: Covers significant community stories, including the restoration of British-era fountains and the history of institutions like the 126-year-old Chinchpokli cemetery, showing a breadth of interest beyond pure administration. Tweets @nayonikakb ... Read More

Pratip Acharya

Pratip Acharya is a seasoned journalist based in Mumbai reporting for The Indian Express. With a career spanning over a decade, his work demonstrates strong Expertise and Authority in critical urban issues, civic affairs, and electoral politics across Eastern and Western India. Expertise & Authority Current Role: Journalist, The Indian Express (IE), reporting from Mumbai. Core Authority: Pratip's reporting focuses sharply on local democracy and development, specializing in: Urban Governance and Civic Affairs: Providing in-depth analysis of municipal decision-making, city planning, and local infrastructure, essential for informed urban reporting. City Politics and Environment: Covering the political dynamics of Mumbai and surrounding areas, alongside critical environmental challenges impacting the metro region. Electoral Coverage (High-Stakes Experience): He has extensive experience in high-stakes political reporting, having covered major elections, establishing his Trustworthiness in political analysis: National: Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019. State: West Bengal Assembly elections in 2016 and Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2019. Major Assignments (Ground Reporting): Pratip demonstrated commitment during crises by conducting ground reporting throughout the Covid-19 pandemic since its breakout in 2020, offering first-hand accounts and analysis of the public health crisis. Experience Extensive Experience: Starting his career in 2014, Pratip has built his foundation across multiple prominent English dailies: Started at The Times of India in Kolkata (2014). Relocated to Mumbai (2016) and worked with The Free Press Journal and Hindustan Times before joining The Indian Express. Pratip Acharya's diverse experience across major publications, coupled with his specialized focus on the intricate details of urban governance and a track record of covering major electoral and health crises, establishes him as a trusted and authoritative source for news from India's critical metropolitan centres. ... Read More

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