Staff Reporter:
Minister for Road Transport and Bridges, Railways and Shipping Sheikh Robiul Alam yesterday said that the government aims to establish an accountable and transparent governance system based on public participation in the service delivery system in the city corporations of the country.
“Effective urban management requires a shared responsibility among the government, city corporations and the citizens,” he said this while addressing a public hearing hosted by the Dhaka South City Corpo-ration (DSCC) for making its citizen services and development activities more dynamic, transparent, accountable and participatory.
The hearing, focusing on issues under the DSCC’s region-1, was organized at the Russian Cultural Cen-tre in Dhanmondi here.
The hearing was chaired by DSCC Administrator and freedom fighter Md. Abdus Salam where resi-dents, civil society representatives, business leaders, journalists and government officials from the areas of Dhanmondi, New Market, Kalabagan, Shahbagh and surrounding neighborhoods were present.
Participants raised concerns and offered suggestions regarding waste management, road and infrastruc-ture development, water logging, sanitation, trade licenses, holding taxes, public health and other civic services.
Expressing optimism about the initiative, Robiul Alam said the hearing would help to make a bridge of the public expectations and government development plans, thereby improving service quality and ensur-ing greater accountability.
He also announced that Dhanmondi Lake would not be allowed to be used for commercial purposes un-der any circumstances. In addition, he said a project worth approximately Taka 350 crore has been initi-ated to address the water logging in the area.
In his remarks, DSCC Administrator Md. Abdus Salam said the city corporation had surpassed all previ-ous records in overall cleanliness operations, including the removal of sacrificial animal waste during Eid-ul-Azha.
He emphasized that maintaining a clean city is not solely the responsibility of the city corporation and urged citizens to follow regulations and play their part. According to him, a clean and livable Dhaka cannot be achieved without collective efforts of all.
