Shakespeare’s Mark Antony delivered these famous words in his eulogy for Julius Caesar: “The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones.”
But let that not be the case with the passing of our beloved Mayor Annisul Huq whose good deeds, we hope, will not only live on in our memory, but will be manifest for generations to come; that all the progress he made is not only preserved but that successive mayors continue to build on that foundation.
This was a man with a powerful vision to transform Dhaka city -- who demonstrated, through action, that when there is a will, there is indeed a way. And in this case, his will was to do good for this city and its people.
He accomplished things that other politicians deemed impossible or highly dangerous, like breaking up the syndicates that ran DNCC and made progress very difficult.
Annisul Huq undertook extensive development work for Dhaka, some of which he successfully completed, and others that need to be followed through to completion.
He was working with stake-holders in the transport sector to improve the city’s chaotic bus system and make the lives of ordinary citizens a bit easier.
He had plans to initiate a Healthy Dhaka campaign in partnership with public health experts and research organisations because he understood the importance of involving informed experts to overcome urban challenges.
He always made sure that the interest of the people came first, not the interest of the wealthy and powerful.
All of us owe it to this great man to do our part, no matter how seemingly insignificant, to make sure that his legacy is carried on.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
