One day after taking oath as the first mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation, Sayeed Khokon went to his office – the Nagar Bhaban – yesterday on a horse carriage.
The traditional Old Dhaka vehicle carrying Sayeed Khokon arrived at the DSCC headquarters around 11am. Soon after his arrival, city corporation staff gave their new boss a warm welcome with a bouquet and by showering flowers.
He spent the next hour or so getting acquainted and sharing ideas with his staff, leaders of labour organisations and the supporters of his party ruling Awami League.
The new ward councillors, who got elected alongside Khokon in the April 28 elections, were present during the view-exchange session.
After joining his office, the new mayor said that he would soon hold the “Dhaka Dialogue” – one of his key electoral pledges – with city dwellers, civil society leaders, urban planners and professionals, reports Dhaka Tribune’s Abu Hayat Mahmud.
During the dialogue, he would first learn in details the problems that they had been facing and then discuss how a workable city development plan could be laid, Khokon said.
Later in the day, Khokon, along with Nagar Bhaban officials, took part in a clean-up drive in the Bangabazar, Bongshal, Dholaikhal and Naya Bazar areas. He also directed the officials to remove some illegal structures in these areas in the quickest possible time.
However, Annisul Huq, Khokon’s counterpart in the north of Dhaka, did not attend office yesterday. On Wednesday, he visited the temporary headquarters of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) after being sworn in as the mayor by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina alongside Khokon and Chittagong City Corporation Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin.
DNCC Public Relations Officer Md Monowar Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune that Annisul would officially take over on Sunday.