Better amenities first

Life is plagued by problems in Dhaka and Chittagong -- our two major cities going to polls on April 28. What will a mayoral hopeful do to solve those problems, if elected? How all the modern amenities will be ensured? 
What is his vision for the future of the city? 
Looking for the answers, The Daily Star has talked to a mayoral candidate. Here is the interview:

His family has a generations-long legacy of serving the dwellers of Dhaka city. His maternal grandfather, Mazed Sardar, was a Sardar or a panchayet leader of Dhaka in the early 50s. And his father, Mohammad Hanif, was the first elected mayor of the undivided Dhaka city corporation.

Following suit, now Sayeed Khokon himself has set out to take the helm of one of the two city corporations of the capital.

With promises of turning the city into a modern metropolis, Khokon is contesting the mayor polls to Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).

"For the last 65 years, my family has been serving the Dhaka city dwellers. We have an emotional attachment with the city people. Since I belong to a family that has been tested and trusted for decades, I think the Dhaka people will not disappoint me," said the DSCC mayor aspirant, who has secured the blessing of the ruling Awami League.

In an exclusive interview with The Daily Star, Khokon, also the organising secretary of Dhaka city AL, talked about the existing condition of city services, the challenges he would face if he was given the mandate, and his plans for the city.

"The city faces a lot of problems. From birth to death, every Dhaka dweller has to depend on city services. The quality of these services, unfortunately, is only going down and down due to the absence of people's representatives at the city corporations. If I am voted to the mayor's office, my plan is to strengthen these services within the first year," said Khokon.

Where does he want to see Dhaka city 20 years down the line?

"If I say Dhaka would be like Hong Kong, Singapore or Zurich within 20 years, it will not be realistic. But I think Dhaka can be a city like Jakarta at least. And for that, modern leadership and specific planning are a must."

Traffic jam, shortage of public toilet and street light, waterlogging, and the appalling state of road and transport system and waste management are his major concerns. If voted to the mayor's office, he would address these problems within the first year, Khokon said.

From the second year on, he would work to ensure all modern facilities, like those in the world-class cities, for the city dwellers.

Proper coordination between the city corporation and different government offices would be his main challenge.

"To ensure city services, the city corporation has to work with 20 ministries and 52 directorates. Due to bureaucratic tangles in these offices, the city corporation often finds it hard to implement its plans. My challenge would be to remove these barriers. And I would open a cell that would be responsible for coordinating between these offices for smooth operations of city services.

"Change -- this is what I am going to give the city dwellers if they vote for me.

"Like my maternal grandfather Majed Sardar, who was the last Sarder of Dhaka, and my father Mohammad Hanif, I want to dedicate my life to the service of the people of this city," Khokon went on.

Asked what made AL chief Sheikh Hasina pick him over other more experienced party leaders for the mayoral race, Khokon said: "It was perhaps her respect for my late father."

He claimed that there was no misunderstanding among the city unit leaders of the party over this endorsement. "We all are united under Sheikh Hasina's leadership and we always accept her decisions."