The Asian Age (AA): Even though several reports mentioned Dhaka as the worst city to live in, you have claimed several times that the city is safer and worthy place to live. Would you explain the reasons behind your assertion? What makes you so hopeful about the capital?
Annisul Huq: No, I don’t agree with the opinion that Dhaka is the worst city to live in. It is still a good place to live. The question is how livable the city in comparison with other cities of the world. My city is 83 square kilometers in size while Melbourne is 3,577 square kilometers, Lagos is 999.6 square kilometers. On the other hand, Singapore has 96 square kilometers with 70 lakh people while the number of Dhaka dwellers is around two crore. So, there is no reason to compare Dhaka with those cities. This city provides crores of people with their livelihood, shelter and plays the key role to march a country ahead. Some statistical, economical or environmental data can’t be evidential to assert Dhaka as worst livable city. Apart from this, I or my people are hardly responsible for the environmental changes. Rather those people are responsible who are labeling me not apt to the chair.
AA: Green Dhaka, Clean Dhaka. The Asian Age readers are eager to know your opinion and observation on the progress in this regard.
Annisul: Let’s take the question in two parts. I would say the work for a Clean Dhaka has got the start. The city produces a huge quantity of garbage and still we don’t have a certain dumping ground. City dwellers throw the garbage on the streets as they don’t have other option. We have been introducing some 72 STSs (Secondary Transfer Station) in 36 wards. We hope the people, within three or four months will have the garbage dumping systems. Moreover, we are thinking to set up a timetable when the people will dump their daily garbage. There are also plans to recruit employees who would be engaged in garbage management operation. I think within a very short time we will be able to see visible changes. That would be the introduction of a Clean Dhaka.
On the other hand, numerous projects are on to establish Green Dhaka. We have been planting creepers alongside six-kilometer high wall for beautification of the city. However, the rootless and street people are ruining the project. Besides, we have decorated a foot-over bridge with flower plants near BAF Shaheen School in the capital. We have got the test result and have been planning to cover all the 36 foot-over bridges with green plants. Those will be delivered to each household to plant on the rooftops. The project will start in next six months. There are central plans for the city parks to make them greener and to set up street gardens. The next year would be change-making.
AA: Well, let’s look to Dhaka North City Corporation budget for 2014-15. A sum of Tk1,600 crore was allocated for all the development features. Do you think your plans are beyond that budget?
Annisul: None of our plans is so expensive. For example, traffic management and vehicle parking were not taken into a systematic way earlier. I already have taken actions and declared Tejgaon, Karwan Bazar, Mohakhali, Mohammadpur, Mirpur-12, Abdullahpur, Kalyanpur, Amin Bazar and Gabtoli free from illegal parking. Huge amount of money is not required except encouraging the mass people. The dwellers have responded a lot and that made the initiatives possible. Actually they did the job and the mayor was only a ‘catalyst to be called’. He is also a city dweller like others.
AA: Let’s talk about the water-logging problem of the city.
Annisul: Um, this is the sector the mayor hardly has anything to do. Main task is to rescue 26 canals of the city from grabbers. The canals are clogged with solid waste by the illegal occupants and on those they have built structures. Now flash floods are frequent even after a short rainfall. I don’t have any control on this and therefore I’m unable to make any forecast on water-logging.
AA: Who is responsible for the situation?
Annisul: We all are. The city corporation is not the owner of the canals. The reality is, one authority owns the canals and other one is to take care. If I invest a single penny for the canals, the Anti-Corruption Commission would question me. The city authority is not officially permitted to spend money for the sake of the canals. So, DNCC is not responsible for the canals.
AA: Your election manifesto said Dhaka needed a smart coordinator among the authorities. Now, what do you have to say?
Annisul: Hmm, we are trying. There are 56 organizations of the government involving the city issues. If our effort was not successful, how were 20 thousand billboards including those of the armed forces evicted recently? There was a combined effort and the mayor is still working on it.
AA: What is your plan about the rehabilitation of slum dwellers?
Annisul: DNCC has not taken any initiatives yet. We talked with some of the NGOs and asked them to prepare development plans. There is nothing specific to mention about.
AA: What initiative have you taken to minimize the severe traffic congestions in the capital?
Annisul: All the factors responsible for traffic gridlock are not in the reach of the city mayor. For example, the roads, traffic police, BRTC or bridges are not under the city corporation authorities. What we can do is to coordinate with the authorities and efforts are on for it.
We are taking many initiatives to make the footpaths pedestrian-friendly and evict the illegal occupants. Besides, eviction cannot be the best solution. I told the ward councilors to prepare drafts so that we can rehabilitate them by setting up evening markets, holiday markets or something like that. You have to understand that thousands of people make their livelihood from the illegal markets on footpaths. We will certainly rehabilitate the slum dwellers and rickshaw-pullers, but the initiatives should be well-planned. If they are forcefully evicted today, tomorrow one of us could be the victim of mugging by this poor and jobless portion of the inhabitants.
AA: It seems that you are going beyond your mandate spending a lot of time in evicting illegal parking, traffic jam and other transport-related problems. Is this an ad-hoc plan or you are institutionalizing it as one of the major tasks of the city corporation?
Annisul: I think the city father earlier tried to do things like me. But I’m lucky to have media personnel with me. In addition, everything has its maturity period. Now it is time to move on and work together for the problem we were facing for a long time. I should also add that we are going to declare Gulshan-1 and Gulshan-2 intersections illegal parking-free. Moreover, we have new public transportation project on card where five owners will provide city bus transportation lessening the number of 500 bus owners.
All the projects in my election manifesto are being touched gradually. We need a couple of months to make the changes visible and shape up a decorated urban space.
AA: According to the business community of the capital, the fees of trade licenses have hiked. You as a businessman and mayor of the North, how do you see the problem to solve?
Annisul: We, the city corporation, have not hiked the fees. Rather the government has hiked. City corporation is only to collect the revenues.
AA: Awareness of the people is a must to have a green and clean city. Have you developed any policy to involve the city people in this concept?
Annisul: Yes, obviously the awareness of the people has no alternative. Every day I use to talk with the people of all walks of life about their issues regarding the city. I am leading a campaign which aims at connecting more citizens to build up a concrete consciousness among the people. Within next two months, you will see city corporation vehicles with volunteers, who would distribute flower trees, fertilizers and pots.
AA: Your comments please for The Asian Age readers.
Annisul: Stay with The Asian Age, it’s a lovely looking newspaper. I hope, the readers would be satisfied with its contents.
AA: Thank you, Mr Mayor.
Annisul: Thank you, too.
Interviewed By
Sohel Mahmud & Fakhruddin Mehedi
