The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) launched a coordinated field operation on Wednesday morning to ensure effective delivery of citizen services, focusing on waste management, mosquito control, street lighting, revenue collection and the removal of illegal footpath occupations. The drive, conducted in the Science Lab and City College areas of the capital, was led by DSCC Administrator, Bir Muktijoddha Md Abdus Salam, with officials from all relevant departments taking part.
Speaking at a press briefing held during the operation, the administrator said it was not possible to effectively manage an area as vast as Dhaka South by working only from Nagar Bhaban, which was why region-based public hearings had been introduced, with officials visiting different areas directly to hear citizens’ problems and issue instructions accordingly. He added that over the past five months he had urged both city corporation staff and ordinary citizens to become more aware, and that the time had now come for final field-level monitoring.
Outlining future plans, the administrator said he would make surprise visits to any area under DSCC at least once a week from Wednesday onward, assessing the quality of services including waste management, mosquito control, revenue collection, street lighting and engineering work. He warned that immediate administrative action would be taken against officials found negligent in service delivery.
The administrator also cautioned citizens over their own responsibilities, warning that strict fines would be imposed under the law on those who dispose of waste indiscriminately or allow water to accumulate and breed Aedes mosquito larvae. He said the corporation aimed to transform Dhaka South into a “Clean and Green City” through public awareness and coordinated cooperation.
During the operation, the administrator inspected footpaths and various business premises, with trade licences checked and legal action taken, including the seizure of mobile shops illegally placed on footpaths. Mobile courts were run alongside the drive under the leadership of three DSCC executive magistrates. A Hossain Builder was fined Tk1 lakh under Section 269 of the Penal Code after Aedes mosquito larvae were found in stagnant water at a construction site, with the company facing three months’ imprisonment should it fail to pay. Roshui Restaurant was fined Tk10,000 under Section 52 of the Consumer Rights Protection Act 2009 for serving food in an unhygienic environment, while Dhanmondi Popular Diagnostic Centre was fined Tk5,000 for illegal parking on the footpath.
The DSCC said its coordinated operations and mobile court activities would continue in the public interest.
