Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam has assumed office on May 13 this year for his second consecutive period. During the previous tenure, he was in the office for only 10 months.
After taking office for the second time, DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam has identified three major challenges in his area. These are- mosquito control to save people from dengue and chikungunya, recovering and maintenance of city canals for eliminating water-logging and combating ongoing Covid 19 pandemic.
Atiqul also emphasized on ensuring 'Safer Dhaka' and 'Clean Dhaka' by introducing modern city services and health services with adequate security measures for the DNCC dwellers.
The businessman-turn-politician also emphasized building up coordination between the city corporation and the utility service agencies under the city to resolve the problems for the city's development and building a modern city. While talking to this correspondent at his Gulshan office recently, Atiqul also emphasised on innovative technologies to ensure health services to the city dwellers and implementation of modern urbanization plans.
'First of all, we want to ensure health and social security for the DNCC residents by ensuring all civic services,' he said, adding, "That's why, we stressed on the cleanliness and digitalization of the DNCC services. The people will get services sitting at home in future."
Eighteen new wards were included under the DNCC area about four years ago. Most of the areas are still deprived of the touch of development due to inadequate allocations. As a result, the people of the newly included areas are yet to enjoy city facilities.
Regarding the issue, the DNCC Mayor said that a project of Tk 4,200 crore was forwarded to the Planning Commission for the approval of the government. However, the project was rejected. After reviewing the proposal, the authority will resend it to the government for the betterment of the people of the 18 new wards.
Reiterating the commitment of opening 'Sobar Dhaka' app, he said the app will be launched in November this year. Using the app, residents of DNCC will get all services from home including payment of holding tax, renewal of trade licences, getting birth and death certificates from January 1in 2021.
"We have also taken initiative to ensure safer roads at night for all people including women and children through street lighting. For this, 4,200 LED lights will be installed by November this year in the city streets," Atiqul said, adding that smart lamp posts will provide free WiFi in the surrounding area and ensure security surveillance.
The DNCC Mayor Atiq also mentioned that a special franchised bus service for women will be introduced very soon.
Regarding installation of CCTV cameras on the streets, he said residents of Uttara, Mirpur and Gulshan have already installed such cameras on the streets in front of their houses on their own initiative. In this way, if people in other areas install CCTV cameras to ensure safety, DNCC will assist them. "Otherwise, it's hard for the DNCC to install huge number of cameras on the streets."
"We are working to transform the DNCC into a smart city," said Mayor Atiqul.
"Bicycle ride sharing has already been introduced in Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara and Niketan areas. I always welcome creative initiative to modernize civic cervices in the Dhaka North," he added.
Mentioning that the newly included 18 wards of DNCC will be turned into the most modern part of the city of Dhaka, Mayor Atiqul Islam said Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) has allocated Tk 4,025 crore to establish modern city in the areas.
He said most of the allocated money would be spent on widening roads and restoring and digging canals in the areas.
Mentioning that DSCC has taken initiative to bring coordination among the various service providers likes WASA and DESA. The road will be paved after completing all service providers' activities. No organization will be able to work on that road for the next 10 years Atiqul Islam said.
