Annisul dreams of clean, humane Dhaka

Awami League-backed mayoral candidate Annisul Huq yesterday announced the election manifesto with the promise to build a clean, green, healthy, enlightened and humane Dhaka.

He also committed to ensure accountability at every level of the city corporation management to keep it free from corruption, muscle power, influence and to provide best services.

The manifesto titled "Eber Shomadhan Jatra" (Now is the time for solution), Annisul vowed to introduce e-tender, Wi-Fi in public spaces, community gardening, waste recycling, and build a modern drainage system and improve the public transport system.

Huq, former FBCCI president and a candidate of Dhaka North City Corporation, announced the manifesto through a press conference at Lotus Kamal Tower in Khilkhet.

Describing his short-, mid- and long-term plans, he said, "Dhaka will be a humanitarian city for all, irrespective of the rich and the poor."

He said DNCC would get a new building and a central mosque.

Referring to the position of Dhaka at the bottom of the world's city liveability index, Annisul said, "It is not possible to turn Dhaka into a Singapore or Bangkok overnight. But it is possible to make the city clean, healthy and liveable with the people's help."

Other pledges include easing traffic jam, solving waterlogging, launching anti-mosquito drives, constructing dumping stations, and modern public toilets.

All streets of North will come under CCTV cameras, be sufficiently illuminated, see a good number of community police, and get separate lanes for bicycles, Annisul said.

He also promised to construct daycare centres in 36 wards of North, civic centres, community libraries, housing facilities for low-income people, media centres for artists and journalists, and to introduce city cards and a database for small traders, and create more jobs.