It is deeply unfortunate that the government’s action in splitting the Dhaka City Corporation in 2011 has shown no satisfactory results in the last three years.
There is little to show in improvements to city management despite the large amounts of public funds committed. Indeed evidence is mounting that the lack of mayoral elections to the two split city bodies is making them further unaccountable to the public and making the situation worse.
Although over Tk256cr has been budgeted for maintaining traffic and drainage systems in the DSCC area alone in the last two fiscal years, more than half the total length of roads in the city are in urgent need of renovation.
Basic maintenance issues such as public parks and waste collection remain victims of woeful neglect.
Proper planning and co-ordination is needed to improve services. However, the absence of an elected representative who can be held accountable for the organisation’s failures has left the capital’s infrastructure in disarray since the split.
If Bangladesh is to grow sustainably, the obvious hindrances to its infrastructural development in the management of Dhaka must be addressed as a priority.
The crumbling conditions of roads and city services are a blight hindering the capital’s ability to improve quality of life for citizens and a deterrence to attracting new investment.
The government must step in to reverse the deterioration in the city’s management by scheduling mayoral elections urgently.
Making the city corporations properly accountable to citizens is the best way to bring the city’s management problems under control.