3 Dhaka City Wards: Locals deprived of services as councillors in jail
Though he was indifferent to attending city corporation’s meetings, sacked Dhaka South City Corporation ward-9 councillor AKM Mominul Haque Sayeed rented a flat to use as his office, spending four times higher than the money allocated by the DSCC.
The DSCC gives a councillor Tk 8,000 a month to pay office rent, whereas Sayeed rented a flat at Tk 35,000 and made it his office in Arambagh.
Sayeed’s lavishness has put his successor Sultan Miah in a fix as he cannot pay the additional rent from his pocket. As a result, people of the ward are being deprived of service.
On October 27, the DSCC gave Sultan, councillor of ward-8, the additional responsibility of Sayeed’s ward.
“I need a citizen certificate for opening a bank account, but no one is found at the councillor office [of ward-9]. I have been asked to come later,” said Humayara on Monday.
People usually go to councillor offices for character, citizenship, inheritance, and marriage certificates. Like DSCC ward-9, people of DSCC ward-39 and wards-32 and-33 of Dhaka North City Corporation are also not getting adequate services after three councillors were arrested.
“I need an inheritance certificate, but I’m not getting it as our councillor is arrested,” said Akhtaruzzaman, a resident of KM Das lane, in front of the ward-39 councillor office at Rajdhani Super market in Tikatoli.
Almost a month after the beginning of drive against illegal casino business, the government removed Sayeed for being “absent in general meetings and staying abroad without permission from the DSCC”.
Sayeed, who is reportedly in Singapore now, is also joint general secretary of Dhaka South Jubo League and the president of Arambagh Krira Sangha.
Visiting the councillor office on the second floor of a six-storey building in Arambagh around 11:30am on Monday, this correspondent found Sayeed’s room locked.
The ward secretary’s room is next to his room, but he was also found absent.
The on-duty security guard told The Daily Star that Secretary Rafiqul Islam had gone to Sultan’s office.
Talking to this correspondent, Rafiqul said he goes to Sultan’s office to get different documents signed.
At his ward-8 office at Sadeque Hossain Khoka Community Centre in Kamlapur, Sultan said he did not have the ability to pay the extra Tk 27,000 rent for the councillor office of ward-9.
“I have called an introductory meeting with senior citizens of Arambagh. I’ll raise the office issue [of ward-9] there,” he said, hoping to get a suitable office soon.
“Once I get it, it will be easier for me to do daily work,” he added.
Sayeed’s removal came weeks after media reports of his involvement in illegal casino business in the capital.
On September 22, Rab busted illegal casinos housed inside Arambagh Sporting Club, Dilkusha Sporting Club, and Mohammedan Sporting Club run by Sayeed.
On October 31, Rab arrested councillor of DSCC ward-39 Moinul Haque Manju in an extortion case. Councillors of ward-32 and-33 of DNCC Habibur Rahman Mizan and Tarequzzaman Rajib were arrested on October 11 and 19 on charges of extortion.
Around 4:00pm on Monday, this correspondent found Mizan’s Lalmatia office locked.
Contacted, DNCC Zonal Executive Officer Masud Hossain said they were yet to get the arrest documents of Mizan and Rajib from police. That is why they could not hand over their responsibilities to others.
“For the time being, I have instructed ward secretaries to issue certificates on white paper,” he said.
Usually, those certificates are issued on official pad.
DSCC Zonal Executive Officer Mohammad Samsul Hoque said he requested the higher authorities to take necessary steps to assign someone as councillor in DSCC ward-39 for the interim period.