Congratulations to the new mayors of Dhaka, Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh from Dhaka South City Corporation, and Atiqul Islam from Dhaka North City Corporation.
Now that the results are in, everyone’s eyes will be on the two new mayors to now deliver on the promises they made leading up to the elections in their respective campaigns.
It was unfortunate that this year’s mayoral elections saw a particularly low voter turnout -- a turnout of below 25% -- which means that questions must now be asked about the reason why more citizens did not come out to vote for their respective preferred candidates.
However, what is undeniable is the job that our new mayors have to do now, and it’s a job that they have pledged to do in their campaigns. Now is the time for the citizens to hold their respective mayors accountable.
This city has a whole host of problems that need fixing, from its unbearable traffic, to the deteriorating quality of air that is no doubt shortening people’s lives, to the waterlogging that causes a barrage of health emergencies, such as dengue, every year.
While Dhaka has indeed grown considerably as a city, it remains a city that ranks in the lowest tiers when it comes to global liveability indices.
This is not a status quo that Dhaka’s citizens deserve.
Therefore, it is now up to the new mayors, together with their respective city corporations, to transform Dhaka. It is time to envision a new capital city, one which is a healthy, clean, safe, and prosperous reality.
