Reza Mahmud :
When the two mayors of Dhaka are marking three years in offices on Sunday, the city dwellers are evaluating their failures and achievements.
They also observed that many civic problems remained unresolved though they took to the offices three years ago.
DNCC Mayor late Annisul Huq and DSCC Mayor Muhammad Sayeed Khokon were sworn in on May 6, in 2015.
DNCC Mayor Annisul Huq passed away on November 30 last year.
The acting Mayor Osman Gani works to execute late Mayor Annisul Huq’s working plans.
Experts and people from different parts of the cities are evaluating the two mayors’ achievements and failures.
They assessed that the DNCC mayor late Annisul Huq attained some great achievements like evacuating the Tejgaon’s illegal truck stand.
The influential musclemen grabbed huge land for years and people thought that that might not be evacuated any more.
But the mayor evacuated ignoring the protest of the motor labourers and grabbers.
In the same way he freed vast lands and pavements in Mirpur, Gulshan and other areas of his jurisdiction from the illegal grabbers.
He also made the pavements useful for the pedestrians in the DNCC areas.
Many beautification works also made the DNCC areas standard.
He also expanded the streets in his jurisdictions.
When contacted, Mesbahul Islam, the Chief Executive Officer of DNCC told The New Nation yesterday, “Our late mayor Annisul Huq had a dream to develop city. He started his work as per plan. But he passed away. The acting city mayor is now working to fulfill his dream.”
He said some work like evacuation of Tejgaon illegal truck stand and beautifications will be remembered for long.
Besides these, the citizens from DNCC areas are critical of some failures like mosquito menace, traffic gridlocks, water loggings, and lack of play grounds for children, want of amusement parks and walking spaces. The rugged streets are also creating problems for the residents.
About these, Mesbahul Islam said, those problems are not failures of the DNCC.
Some works are under process. Some issues are not only the matters of city corporations. As an example, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha’s permission is needed to build a park.
“If the RAJUK does not give us land, then how can we make parks?” he said.
The DSCC mayor Muhammad Sayeed Khokon also has some achievements, according to city dwellers.
He has started clean Dhaka campaigns along with distinguished persons.
He placed wastebins on the streets for use by the streetwalkers and shopkeepers.
The DNCC also did it, but DSCC has a larger number of wastebins.
The Mayor tried to evacuate street vendors from Gulistan, Baitul Mukarram, Motijheel and adjacent areas to make the footpaths free for pedestrians.
He was able to keep those footpaths free from hawkers at least for few months.
The hawkers came back and made the footpath their business places again.
However, the police and city corporation officials are trying to evacuate the illegal hawkers from pavements.
But the street vendors used to come back hours after the evacuations.
Nearly every day the police, city corporation officials and hawkers play hide and seek.
When contacted, Khan Muhammad Billal, the Chief Executive Officer of DSCC told The New Nation yesterday, “Our mayor is trying the best to make the city green, clean and more livable. We have some achievements. Some works are also under process.”
He said, the problems like waterlogging, traffic gridlock, mosquito menace and lack of parks will be solved soon as the work are going on in planned way.
