Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Annisul Huq yesterday said he was determined to bring down the influential syndicates that were impeding the capital’s development.
“It is very difficult to break strong syndicates of traders, bus operators and grabbers. But they have recently agreed to cooperate with us in making the city clean and green,” he said.
Annisul was speaking at a views exchange with chiefs of news of different TV channels at Sonargaon hotel, a day after meeting editors of newspapers and web portals. He said he would sit with chairmen and owners of media houses.
BTV Director General Haron-or-Rashid, Impress Telefilm Director and Head of News Shykh Seraj, Ekushey Television Editor-in-Chief and CEO Manzurul Ahsan Bulbul, ATN Bangla Head of News Joy E Mamun, Shomoy Television Managing Director and CEO Ahmed Jobbar, Deepto TV Chief Operating Officer Urfi Ahmed, ATN News Head of News Munni Saha, among others, attended the meeting.
He said the city streets and footpaths would be freed from encroachment by April. “The waste containers on roads will be removed after setting up 72 secondary transfer stations for waste disposal. Twenty-two U-loops will be constructed this year to ease traffic congestion,” he added.
He said the Karwanbazar kitchen market would be shifted to three new locations at Gabtali, Mohakhali and Sayedabad, although the traders are reluctant to move.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, too, wants the market shifted. Local MP and Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former commerce minister Faruk Khan and ruling Awami League leaders were willing to cooperate with the DNCC, the mayor said.
“With everyone’s assistance, we want to turn Dhaka into a clean, green, and digital city,” Annisul added.