Mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Annisul Huq on Saturday underscored the need for a coordinated system to resolve various problems of the city, saying only city corporations are not enough the deal with those.

“City corporations alone can’t resolve Dhaka’s problems. A total of 14 government agencies are involved in the upkeep of drainage system. A coordinated system like city government is needed to ease the problems, including traffic congestion and illegal billboards, the people now facing,” he said.

The DNCC mayor made the remarks at a ‘Meet-the-Press’ programme arranged by Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).

Asked whether he wants to introduce a city government, Annisul replied in the negative, saying many will raise question as to how government can run within another government.

He, however, said a coordinated system is a must to solve the problems of capital Dhaka. “There should be such a system through which the city corporation can resolve the problems.”

The mayor said the city’s waterlogging problem will not go if the canals running through the capital cannot be revived.

Stressing that the canals belong to the district administration while Wasa is responsible for recovering and developing those, he said the city corporations has nothing to do legally in this regard. “But people blame the city corporations for the waterlogging.”

Annisul said although Dhaka’s streets have the capacity to accommodate only 2-3 lakh motorised vehicles, there are 11 lakh vehicles in the city. Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) permits the vehicles, while the traffic police maintain the traffic system.

Noting that he was trying to remove illegal truck stand from Tejgaon, the DNCC mayor said though he has no authority, he has sat with truck owners and drivers to remove the truck stand.

Saying many criminals are doing business after opening shops there, he observed that they need to be bullied for eviction and sought cooperation from the media in this regard. The DNCC mayor also said the Karwanbazar kitchen market will be
shifted to Jatrabari, Aminbazar and Mohakhali markets, built by the city corporation.

DRU President Shakhawat Hossain Badsha presided over the function while its general secretary Ilias Hossain delivered the welcome speech.

Badsha, in his speech, sought cooperation from the mayor in ensuring proper trial of murder of journalist couple Sagor-Runi and stopping attacks on journalists.

In response, the mayor said he also wants the trial, adding that the journalist community will also have to be united over the demand.

UNB/RI