Abdul Hamid, a resident of Ward 3 in Siddhirganj, Narayanganj, has been facing a growing waste crisis. For 13 days, no waste collector has come to his home. Garbage dumped by residents has turned nearby areas into open dumping grounds.
“Everyone is throwing waste into nearby canals and water bodies,” he told TIMES.
Asked why waste collection had stopped, he said, “Earlier, one person controlled the waste business. I heard a bigger leader will now take control. We are suffering because of this transition.”
His experience reflects a wider problem in Dhaka and surrounding areas, where residents say household waste collection has become linked to informal control, fee disputes and local influence.
In Dhaka city, residents in several neighbourhoods have reported that waste collectors have stopped coming for seven days, 10 days or even longer. Many allege that the disruption is being used to pressure residents into paying higher charges.
Badda resident Emran Hossain Milon described the situation as “waste terror”.
Before the August 2024 mass uprising, waste management activities were largely controlled by leaders and activists of the then ruling Awami League. After the political change, residents allege that control gradually shifted to BNP leaders and affiliated groups.
They claim the new controllers are ignoring fee limits set by city corporations and forcing residents to depend on local influence. Those who refuse to pay the demanded amount risk losing waste collection services.
According to Dhaka’s two city corporations, primary household waste collection charges are capped at Tk100 per month per flat. The same limit is mentioned in agreements with Private Primary Collection Service Providers (PCSPs).
However, residents say actual charges are much higher.
Households are being charged Tk120 to Tk250 per flat, while residents of some high-rise buildings in affluent areas are being asked to pay Tk2,500 to Tk4,500 collectively. Small shops are charged Tk400 to Tk500, while large restaurants pay more than Tk2,000.
Many residents say the increased fees are imposed without prior notice.
Sourav Hossain, a resident of the Mohakhali Square area, said he was suddenly told two months ago that he would have to pay Tk200 for waste collection.
“They gave me a receipt, but it had no address or contact details of the service provider. There was no explanation about why the charge was increased,” he said.
Aslam, a waste collector in Tejgaon’s Begunbari area, acknowledged that collection fees vary.
“We collect Tk200 from households. But we take whatever we can from whoever we can. If someone pays less, I will not collect their waste,” he said.
Several residents alleged that waste vans often stop coming to homes when residents refuse to pay increased charges.
City corporations also have no clear account of where the additional money collected from residents goes.
Sabuj Mia, a waste collector in Kalyanpur, said he and his assistant collect waste from around 80 houses and 1,000 to 1,200 flats in parts of Middle Paikpara and Darus Salam Road under Ward 11.
Each flat pays Tk150 per month, meaning his collection area generates more than Tk150,000 monthly.
But Sabuj earns only Tk12,000, while his assistant receives Tk8,000.
“We only do the work and receive our wages. We barely survive,” Aslam said.
Since 2024, primary waste collection in the 75 wards of Dhaka South City Corporation has been handed over to private organisations through tenders. To obtain contracts, companies must deposit security money of Tk15 lakh to Tk17 lakh.
Yet paying fees does not always guarantee regular service.
In Kamrangirchar, residents struggle to enter their homes as piles of waste accumulate at their doorsteps.
Boatman Bellal Molla pays Tk100 a month, the official rate set by the city corporation. But he says waste is collected only every three or four days.
“Most of the time, the smell becomes unbearable. If it rains, waste water enters our homes,” he said.
Residents across Dhaka say household waste collection has developed into an opaque business where official rules and ground realities are completely different.
The situation is reportedly worse in Dhaka North City Corporation areas, where residents allege that influential groups are collecting waste without valid tenders by dividing areas among themselves.
DNCC Administrator Md Safiqul Islam Khan said no new tender process is currently active and that previous arrangements existed before he assumed responsibility. He said reforms were being planned in the public interest.
However, residents say conditions have not improved despite repeated assurances.
In Shahjadpur’s Ward 39, a dispute over waste collection left residents suffering after garbage remained uncollected for 10 consecutive days in late July. Waste piled up on roads, spreading foul smells and increasing fly infestation.
“I heard workers stopped collecting waste because of a dispute between two groups,” said local resident Emran Hossain Milon.
The struggle for control over waste collection has also been linked to violence.
Police investigations into the killing of Jubo Dal activist Md Yusuf in Mirpur last month found links to a local waste tender dispute.
The Detective Branch said four professional killers were hired for Tk25 lakh to kill Kafrul thana Jubo Dal Member Secretary Hafizul Islam Babu. However, the attack missed its target and Yusuf was killed.
Investigators found that a dispute over a local waste tender was among the issues behind the conflict between Hafizul Islam Babu and Hafizur Rahman Hafiz.
Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Md Abdus Salam warned that PCSP licences would be cancelled if operators charged more than the fixed Tk100 fee or failed to collect waste regularly.
A DSCC office order signed by Secretary Zainul Abedin also instructed officials to monitor the system regularly.
Despite such warnings, allegations of excessive charges, irregular collection and lack of transparency remain.
Urban management expert Abdul Rakib Khan said both the state and citizens are suffering under the current system.
He said city corporations could operate waste collection through their own workforce, which would prevent unauthorised charges and allow collected revenue to go directly to government coffers.
