Shop owners and visitors pointed out that an ever-increasing number of illegal makeshift stalls around the four-year old market have created an unhealthy atmosphere which is driving away customers.

"I try my best to avoid this market as its surroundings have really become filthy," said a student of North South University.

There are over 25 tea-stalls, food stalls and spots where rickshaw-repair men sit.

"Most customers stay away from this market due to the presence of local hoodlums, drug addicts and other miscreants. These people hang out at these makeshift stalls," said a shop owner of the market.

There have been complaints that the illegal shops use the market's water. "The market, which houses around 250 shops, faces regular water crisis because of this," said an employee of a shop who added that the owners tend to keep mum as the illegal stalls have the blessings of people with influence.

"We fear for our safety as the illegal occupiers are more in number and some even have political support," said another shop owner of the market.

The local ward commissioner had initiated eviction of the floating stalls a number of times but somehow the illegal occupiers have always managed to return.

"We are helpless," admitted Abdul Alim Noki, commissioner of Ward 19.

Some shop owners and locals blamed the patrol police for the situation alleging that they receive daily bribe from these stalls. The duty officer of Gulshan police station denied the allegation.

The market's insufficient lighting also contributed in keeping away potential customers, believed shopkeepers. Only recently the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) replaced the damaged lights near the entrance of the market.

"The market had a gloomy and dark look as most shops were not allotted space and could not open. But all that will change now," said Shamsuddin Bahar, general secretary of Banani Super Market Shop Owners and Businessmen's Co-operative Society. Bahar's hope stemmed from the recent allotment of space to 43 shops, which had been pending for the last few years.

In another recent development, shop owners with support from the local ward commissioner managed to get an approval from the DCC to re-construct the market's entrances with Thai aluminum by taking down the outer walls which act as support to most of the floating stalls.