BCC budget is also not announced and the day-to-day work at the BCC is now being done on credit basis.

The situation arose following arrest of Mayor Majibor Rahman Sarwar in Dhaka on May 29, said BCC chief executive officer (CEO) Mehdi Hassan and superintending engineer Khan Md Nurul Islam. Since then nobody acted for him resulting in stoppage of financial transactions at BCC, they said.

Sarwar is an accused in an arms case and investigation is going on for graft charges against him.

Moreover, most of 40 ward commissioners are absconding since declaration of the state of emergency. No meeting of different sub- committees were held since May, BCC sources said.

Officials and employees of BCC are not getting salaries for the last four months.

In the meantime, grant worth Tk 12 crore was returned to the donors as none holds financial authority equivalent to the mayor.

Because of lack of repair and maintenance, Sadar Road, Fazlul Huq Avenue, Bazaar Road, Chawk Bazaar, Katpotty and Kawnia Road are in bad shape.

At present, stock of bulb has exhausted. The lone vehicle used for maintenance work of about 3,000 street lights is now out of order for the last six months.

Most of the health workers serve on daily wages at the rate of Tk. 65 per day. They are also not getting their wages for the last four months. As a result, health and sanitation situation has gone beyond any standard. About 100 tons of waste are dumped at different points along the 45 square kilometre area in the city daily. This requires at least 20 garbage carrier trucks for their removal. BCC has only seven garbage carrier trucks while five of them are out of order. Two garbage carrier trucks and a few hand-trolleys are simply unable to clear waste from different dustbins and dumping points.

Because of stinks of garbage, pedestrians have to pass the areas putting handkerchief on nose. Due to lack of cleaning, roads have become dirty and drains clogged. In short, the sewerage system has collapsed.

Citizens here are also suffering due to water crisis as only a third of the required 10 million gallons of water is being supplied to them.

Load shedding and low voltage of power have aggravated the situation. For lack of maintenance and mechanical problem, the pump houses are also not operating properly resulting in water crisis.

BCC procured a water tanker having a capacity of 5,000 gallons in May, but it was returned to the supplier within a week following detection of fault. The vehicle was not supplied as per the specification, relevant sources said.

Nagorik Parishad president Advocate Enayet Pir Khan and Nagorik Samaj member secretary Dr Mizanur Rahman reacting to the dire situation said If the elected bodies become inactive and funds not provided to run the utility services of the corporation then there is no justification to collect taxes from citizens.