Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed authorities to involve retired government officials and senior citizens in neighbourhood-level cleanliness campaigns to help build a “Clean Dhaka, Green Dhaka”.
The directive came at a review meeting on the capital’s cleanliness activities at the Prime Minister’s Office on Saturday, State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam said at a briefing.
Around 39,000 retired government employees live in Dhaka. They will serve as advisers or take up responsibilities in neighbourhood committees, working alongside young volunteers and government officials.
The campaign will focus on dengue prevention, proper waste disposal, keeping footpaths clear, improving drainage and ensuring household waste reaches secondary transfer stations (STSs).
Committees formed around the 20 regional offices of Dhaka’s two city corporations have so far inspected 248 educational institutions, 129 hospitals and clinics, 112 government residential areas, 152 markets and shopping complexes, and 188 roads, parks and public spaces. They have also visited 130 other sites, including bus terminals and railway stations.
The prime minister has directed authorities to establish more STSs, including exploring environmentally friendly underground facilities, as existing capacity is inadequate for the capital.
The meeting also decided to consider making icddr,b’s medical waste management system mandatory for hospitals and clinics. Government residential accommodation could be cancelled if occupants fail to manage waste properly and maintain hygienic conditions, Shahe Alam said.
To address a shortage of cleaning workers, the government has approved the recruitment of 2,000 workers for Dhaka South City Corporation and 1,500 for Dhaka North City Corporation.
The committees will continue their work, with the prime minister scheduled to review progress again in a month.