M M Jasim :The newly elected mayors Annisul Huq of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Sayeed Khokon of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and AJM Nasir of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) were sworn-in on Wednesday.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina administered the oath to the three mayors in the Shapla Hall of Prime Minister’s’ office at 10:15am.LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam administered the oath to the newly elected 173 coucillors of the three city corporations.The ceremony was moderated by Local Government Ministry’s Acting Secretary Abdul Malek. Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, leader of the opposition in the Parliament Begum Rowshan Ershad, Cabinet members, State Ministers and MPs and leaders of political parties attended the ceremony, among others. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Administration has withdrawn the two administrators of Dhaka South and North City Corporations. Dhaka South City Corporation’s Administrator Sawkot Mostafa has been posted at Post and Telecommunications Ministry as Additional Secretary while Dhaka North City Corporation’s Administrator Rakhal Chandra Barman has been posted at Home Ministry as Additional Secretary. They were appointed administrators on deputation on December 11 last year. The mayors reaffirmed their commitments to put in their all-out efforts for the development of their respective cities and ensure various civic amenities to the city dwellers.The three mayors came up with their fresh vow while talking to reporters just after their sworn-in ceremony.The mayors also expressed their gratefulness to the voters for electing them mayors and the election campaigners.Expressing his resolve to build a neat and clean city, the newly elected DNCC Mayor Anisul Huq sought cooperation of all in reshaping the city, saying “I need everyone’s cooperation.” He urged the city dwellers for their suggestions to develop the city.Annisul said he would be working for building a livable city in a planned way. DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon said that he would take all-out efforts for the development of the city, ease traffic congestions, repair roads and make it free from garbage. “I will do that from the day one,” he said. “I am ready to work with utmost devotion as did my late father Mohammad Hanif, who was the first elected mayor of Dhaka City,” Sayeed Khokon said. Sayeed Khokan said he would go ahead with development plan. Chittagong City Mayor AJM Nasir vowed to mitigate the water logging in the port city, but reminded that it would not be possible for him to do that overnight. But he mentioned that it would be possible for him to solve the problem within his tenure. “I am sure of success,” he said adding, “We will have to take a long-term plan for this, we will have to increase the capacity of the drainage system, and build a new system.”It may be mentioned that the elections to the three city corporations in the capital and the port city were held on April 28. On April 30, the Election Commission officially declared the trio as elected mayors of DNCC, DSCC and CCC by publishing gazettes. The April 28 polls elected 36 councillors and 12 woman councillors in Dhaka North, 57 councillors and 19 woman councillors in Dhaka South, 41 councillors and 14 woman councillors in Chittagong and three mayors for the city corporations.
