Mayor Atiq for restoring occupied canals in his last year in office 

Dhaka North Mayor Atiqul Islam hopes to restore the illegally occupied canals in the Dhaka North zone and finish the development work of 18 new wards during his last year in office.

"In the last year, our main goal will be to free the illegally occupied canals and rearrange the new 18 wards of the Dhaka North City Corporation," he told a press conference, marking the 4th year of his tenure at Gulshan Nagar Bhaban today (13 May). 

The local government ministry handed over 13 canals from Dhaka Wasa to Dhaka North to resolve the waterlogging problem in the capital. 

There are 29 canals, including 13 small and large canals, in the Dhaka North city area. Most of them are almost dead, with piles of illegal construction and garbage. 

The mayor took several initiatives and renovated some canals last year. However, the canals returned to their previous states for lack of proper supervision. 

After renovating the canals, the Bangladesh Army was tasked with demarcating the canal areas. Accordingly, the canal map has been digitised and other processes are underway, Dhaka North's Chief Engineer Brig Gen Muhammad Amirul Islam told the press conference. 

Atiq highlighted planting trees, rescuing illegally grabbed canals, removing waterlogging, freeing sidewalks, easing traffic jams, killing mosquitoes, installing environment-friendly street lights, and modernising parks and playgrounds as his achievements in the last four years. 

While talking about his failure, Atiq said he could not keep canals in Gulshan and Baridhara free from garbage. He also cited not being able to set up a slaughterhouse and a tree hospital in the city as his failure. 

In reply to a media query about the recently unveiled discrepancy in street lamp prices, the mayor said, "The price that has been published in the news includes not only the cost of a lamp but also other costs, including that for electricity connection to the lamp."

So far, some 48,812 Philips lamps have been installed, out of which 1,682 are now broken and will be replaced soon, he further said.

Twenty hydraulic vans have also been imported for proper maintenance of the lamps, he added. 

About their failure to stop the spread of dengue fever, Atiq said, "We brought Bti during the last dengue season. But the contractor cheated us. We've blacklisted them. Now, the DNCC itself will import Bti. It has already been passed in the Cabinet meeting."

He further said each councillor in 54 wards will be given Tk50,000 for creating public awareness to control Aedes mosquitoes.

Stating that the citizens are now getting services online, the mayor said a database of 1.25 lakh holding tax holders has been created.