The bridge linking two of the city's busiest shopping areas such as New Supermarket and Gawsia frequented by females makes way for shopping in another female-item centre, Chadni Chawk.

Every foothold has decayed. The bridge has not seen maintenance nor has it been repaired once after it was constructed before independence. But the DCC is not sure when the bridge was built.

The steel frames of the foothold remain, while the wooden loft has disappeared. The DCC recently evicted hawkers out of the bridge. But polythene, iron rods, electric wires and cords and ropes of about evicted 75 make-shift shops still lie on the bridge.

The area has become a den of pickpockets.

"Movement of the bridge was easy after eviction. The pathway should always be free for commuting," said Habib, a boutique owner of Gawsia.

But with Eid drawing near, the bridge, in it frail condition has still strength to accommodate makeshift shops, which have crept back to original.

"The bridge has turned risky because of its frail condition in addition to muggers lurking around. I avoid using the bridge," said Sharmin Luna, a teacher of an English medium school in Dhanmondi.

"Last week I used the bridge to get across to the kitchen market opposite Gawsia Market. When I reached the other end, I found my purse empty. I could not understand how such incidents occur," said Shahana Bari, a homemaker from Kalabagan.

The constant evictions and replacements have turned out to be a game, commented a pedestrian who frequently uses the bridge for safe crossing.

Shirajuddin Ahmed Chistey, president of Dhaka New Supermarket Businessmen's Association, told Star City that they asked the DC authorities to repair the bridge. "But they took no measures to do any repairs," he said.

"We are taking initiatives to repair the bridge. Tenders and official procedures are complete and we are waiting for the work order," said Iqbal Kabir, DCC's zone 5 executive engineer.