Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed the administrators of Dhaka and Gazipur city corporations to prioritise cleanliness, afforestation, and mosquito control to protect urban residents, particularly from the looming threat of dengue.
The directives were issued during a meeting on Tuesday afternoon at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Secretariat. PM’s Additional Press Secretary Atiqur Rahman Rumon confirmed the matter to reporters.
The meeting was attended by Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Administrator Abdus Salam, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan, and Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) Administrator Shawkat Hossain Sarker.
During the meeting, the administrators highlighted severe financial constraints and sought block grants from the government to maintain operations.
DSCC Administrator Abdus Salam noted that revenue collection over the past few months has been significantly lower than in previous years. He warned that the corporation faces a potential collapse if it attempts to honour all work orders issued indiscriminately by previous administrations.
He further requested the prime minister to instruct Local Government Ministry to support ongoing and upcoming development projects.
DNCC Administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan described the state of the North City Corporation as “fragile.”
He revealed that while the corporation currently holds only Tk 25 crore in funds, work orders for tenders worth Tk 1,470 crore were issued by his predecessor just before the end of his term.
With a monthly salary bill of Tk 13 crore, Milton explained that only Tk 12 crore remains for other expenses, making it difficult to carry out development activities.
Despite these economic challenges, Tarique urged the administrators not to be disheartened and to focus on the immediate needs of the public.
He placed heavy emphasis on three priorities: Clean Dhaka, Green Dhaka, and protecting citizens from the mosquito menace.
Given the approaching monsoon and the expected rise in dengue cases, the prime minister issued a strict directive to bring mosquito populations under control by any means necessary.
In response to the directives, DSCC Administrator Abdus Salam stated that waste management systems are being modernised and a month-long crash programme has already been launched in South Dhaka.
Efforts to combat mosquitoes, including canal excavation and cleanliness drives, are also underway across the city corporations. Milton added that despite the financial crisis, the administrators remain committed to fulfilling their pledges for public welfare.
