Staff Reporter :
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) mayor-elect Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh has vowed to ensure all basic services for citizens within 90 days after taking office.
“The door of Nagar Bhaban will always remain open for all citizens as my aim is to make the city livable,” he told reporters at a press conference at his election office in Dhanmondi on Sunday, marking his landslide victory in the city corporation elections.
The voter turnout could have been much higher, Taposh said.
Dedicating the victory to Dhaka dwellers, Taposh thanked all those who voted for him.
Unofficial results of the Election Commission show Taposh bagged 424,595 votes, while his rival, BNP’s Ishraque Hossain bagged 236,512 votes. Out of 2,453,196 voters, some 711,488 cast their vote, which is 29.002% of all DSCC voters.
Taposh said Dhaka residents cast their votes in favor of the “Boat” to help ensure a developed and modern city.
Meanwhile, all posters and campaign related materials will be removed from the areas under his jurisdiction by tomorrow, he said.
He requested all councilors-elect and Awami League leaders and activists to help remove posters and other campaign material within the deadline.
“We are yet to have any technology to dispose of the solid plastic. So plastic from the posters will be processed manually,” he said.
Reacting the BNP’s strike, Taposh said the party (BNP) should honour the people’s verdict. “But observing hartal BNP goes against the people’s verdict which is unexpected.
“We are always careful about the unlawful exercise of different political groups,” he added.
“I want to do my best,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) mayor-elect Atiqul Islam has vowed to solve major problems of the megacity with assistance from experts.
“During my tenure I will try to solve all the major problems including traffic jams, waterlogging and the mosquito menace with assistance from city planners,” he said, speaking at a press briefing at his election office in Dhaka’s Banani on Sunday.
Focusing on the plan to urbanize the newly added 18 wards under his jurisdiction, Atiqul said a project plan has already been submitted to the Planning Ministry and Local Government Engineering Department for improving the roads and other civic facilities there.
“The projects got the green light and the work will begin once the necessary funding is released from the Ecnec (Executive Committee of the National Economic Council),” he said.
Atiqul Islam also pledged to remove all posters from areas under his jurisdiction as soon as possible.
Although the Election Commission set a 24 hour deadline on Sunday for the removal of all posters, the new mayor said it might take three days to remove them all.
“We will work together to remove posters as early as possible. My supporters, the councillors and their supporters, will remove these posters,” he said.
“Paper and plastic from the posters will be separated and recycled,” he added.
The mayor thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and expressed gratitude to the Awami League election coordination team for DNCC, the ruling party activists, and voters. He also thanked the Election Commission for holding a participatory election.
The mayor urged all the people of the capital to love Dhaka as their own city.
Atiqul Islam was unofficially declared the elected mayor of DNCC as he secured 447,211 votes in the polls held on Saturday.
A well known businessman, Atiqul now heads the Centre of Excellence for Bangladesh Apparel Industries, or CEBAI. He was also president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association for the 2013-14 term.
