Mayor's move on to free city roads

The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) yesterday removed 140 concrete planters and iron fences next to the Russian embassy in Gulshan as part of its efforts to free pavements.

A team of DNCC officials started removing the planters and the fences on three sides of the embassy around 11:00am in the presence of DNCC Mayor Annisul Huq.

Responding to queries from journalists, the mayor said embassies had occupied pavements for a long time, obstructing pedestrians.

He said they freed the pavements after an “understanding” with the embassies. “But we are alert so that security measures at the embassies are not hampered.”

Annisul hoped that with the pavements and parts of the roads next to the embassy being freed, movement of pedestrians would be smooth and the width of the roads would increase.

Thanking the embassy officials, he said he expected all other embassies to follow suit.

On February 28, the DNCC asked foreign missions, including the Russian embassy, to remove obstructions they had placed on footpaths next to their missions. Later, DNCC officials met Russian embassy officials and sought their cooperation, and they agreed to help.