Two Years of CCC Mayor: A lot of promises, a lot of disappointment

Most of the major pledges Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury had made in his election manifesto have not been fulfilled even two years after he took office.

In 2021, Rezaul, an Awami League candidate, took charge and was supposed to fulfil 37 pledges.

He assured of addressing issues like waterlogging; traffic congestion; mosquito menace; evicting illegal occupants from canals, drains and footpaths; improving garbage management and health services; and ensuring adequate LED lights along city streets.

But no significant progress has been made in improving the situation, said locals.

Rezaul had said the canals and drains would be cleaned regularly and effective mosquito repellent would be used.

However, in the last two years, the city dwellers have not gotten relief from the mosquito menace. Residents from different areas said that the unclean canals and drains have become suitable places for mosquito breeding.

"Mosquitoes bite us throughout the year, as the city corporation workers do not clean Chawkbazar's Chaktai canal regularly," said Ripan Barua from Chawkbazar Phooltola area.

Amid all the complaints, Anti-Corruption Commission conducted a raid in the city on February 9 on allegations of irregularities in the purchase of mosquito repellent, confirmed ACC Chattogram assistant director Emran Hossain.

The allegations were primarily found to be true, said Emran.

Rezaul had also said he would keep holding tax at an acceptable level so that neither landlords nor tenants would be in hardship.

However, after being elected mayor, he followed his predecessor AJM Nasir Uddin by realising holding tax as per the house rent, not the area of the land, which has raised the total amount of tax.

In this regard, Chattogram Kordata Surakkha Parishad has been waging a movement to stop the initiative.

Contacted, Amir Uddin, general secretary of the parishad, said home-owners have to pay double tax -- on house rent and income -- in the new system.

Many also said the incumbent mayor has failed to fulfil any of his election pledges.

Once the city was clean, but now, it has become a city of dust and garbage, they said, adding that the door-to-door garbage collection programme is now in a shambles.

Contacted, Mayor Rezaul, however, said, "There has been a significant development in waste management. Besides, we are working to cover the city streets with a digital-lighting system."