Dhaka may get 2-4 mayors
Dhaka City Corporation may be split into two or four parts, and elections to those are likely after that, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said.
The plan will, however, be finalised in consultation with the experts, she added.
Hasina, also president of Awami League, said this at a meeting with the city lawmakers–all from the AL-led grand alliance.
She called on the lawmakers to work sincerely in their constituencies so that people cast their votes for the alliance-backed candidates.
The two-hour long meeting began at 6:00pm at the prime minister’s Ganobhaban residence.
Coming out of the meeting, Rashed Khan Menon, president of the Workers Party, a component of the grand alliance, told The Daily Star that the prime minister is dissatisfied with poor civic service under the present DCC mayor.
Menon, MP from Dhaka-8, said the number of mayors will depend on how many parts the city corporation will be divided into.
“A bill to split the DCC will be placed in parliament after examining all relevant aspects,” he added.
AKM Rahmatullah, lawmaker from Dhaka-10, told The Daily Star that some MPs at the meeting proposed that DCC be split into four (east, west, north and south).”But the prime minister said the decision in this regard will be taken after discussions with the experts.”
Hasina also directed the MPs to do welfare activities in their constituencies so that people vote for AL-nominated candidates in the DCC polls, he added.
Rahmatullah said the meeting also discussed programmes to celebrate the Victory Day.
“Since it will be the 40th anniversary of our victory, this year’s calls for grander celebrations,” he quoted her as saying.
Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, MP from Dhaka-7, said the population in the capital is growing fast and so the city needs to be divided into several parts for better administration and development.
“The prime minister has asked us to think more about the issue,” he told the correspondents.
Replying to a query, Mohiuddin said, “The parliamentary committee on the local government and rural development ministry will decide on this issue after consulting the minister concerned and the city MPs.”
Earlier on September 22, the Election Commission decided to hold the long overdue DCC polls by December and union parishad between January and February next year.