Minister for Road Transport and Bridges, Railways and Shipping Sheikh Robiul Alam today said that the government aims to establish an accountable 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 Corporation (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 Centre in Dhanmondi here.
The hearing was chaired by DSCC Administrator and freedom fighter Md. Abdus Salam where residents, 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 infrastructure 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 ensuring greater accountability.
He also announced that Dhanmondi Lake would not be allowed to be used for commercial purposes under any circumstances. In addition, he said a project worth approximately Taka 350 crore has been initiated to address the water logging in the area.
He added that efforts to restore order in urban management would continue through tighter regulation of street vending activities and enhanced oversight of issues affecting public interest.
The minister further stated that the government is committed to implementing the changes and improvements citizens expect and is working toward establishing a transparent, accountable and participatory urban governance system.
In his remarks, DSCC Administrator Md. Abdus Salam said the city corporation had surpassed all previous 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.
Regarding plans for Dhanmondi Lake, the administrator said initiatives are underway to make the lake more aesthetically pleasing, environment friendly and accessible to the public. He reiterated that no commercial projects would be implemented there.
On the issue of street vendors, he said arrangements would be made to allow vendors to conduct business in designated locations. Efforts would also be made to raise awareness among the vendors about proper waste disposal so that DSCC can remove garbage more efficiently.
He assured that the public expectations, complaints and recommendations would receive the highest priority and that effective measures would be taken to improve the quality of urban services.
DSCC officials noted that similar public hearings will be organized gradually across all 10 regions of the city corporation.
