On the eve of upcoming Dhaka North and South city corporation election Bangladesh Institute of Planners (B.I.P), Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), Institute of Architects Bangladesh and Work for a Better Bangladesh Trust jointly organized a view exchange meeting on “URBAN SERVICE DELIVERY: Our Expectations from Mayors” on 22 April, 2015 at BIP seminar room.

Planner and Professor Dr. Akter Mahmud, general secretary, Bangladesh Institute of Planners (B.I.P) presented 10 proposals on behalf of the four organizations. He said that to transform Dhaka into a more livable one, we need time and hard work. A mayor is elected only for 5 years. Besides elected mayors and councilors have some legal bindings. We have identified 10 points for their priority which will help to reduce the urban problem. But at the same time future mayor must focus on other necessary works of local government. The ten points are

1.      A pedestrian friendly city with enough public transportation system.

2.      Preservation and development of public and open space and playing field.

3.      Necessary steps to garbage management and reduce pollution.

4.      Building a more secured city.

5.      Ensuring accommodation for all (including people of low and middle income).

6.      Developing surface drain.

7.      Increase capacity of City Corporation to deal with calamities.

8.      Increase financial capacity of City Corporation.

9.      Wards should be centre of City Corporation’s work.

10.  Establishing good governance through ensuring corruption free and equity based city system.

All the mayor candidates, present in the meeting agreed with these points and committed to work on these issues with the opinions of the experts after being elected.

Professor Dr. Golam Rahman, President, Bangladesh Institute of Planner (B.I.P) chaired the view exchange meeting. Besides Dr Akter Mahmud, General secretary, Bangladesh Institute of Planner (B.I.P); Architect Abu Sayeed M Ahmed, Secretary, Institute of Architects Bangladesh; Maruf Hossain, National Advocacy Officer, Work for a Better Bangladesh Trust were present in the meeting.

In this view exchange meeting mayor candidates from both North and South were invited. From Dhaka North there were Bahauddin Ahmed, Moyajjem Hossain Khan Mojlish, Md. Zaman Bhuiyan, Kazi Md Shahidullah, Sheikh Md Fazle Bari Masud, Abdullah Al Kafi, Md. Anisuzzaman Khan Khokon, AYM Kamrul Islam and Sheikh Shahiduzzaman. And from South ASM Akram, Abu Naser Md Masud Hossain, Md Baharane Sultan Bahar, Moshiur Rahman, Md Jahidur Rahman and Md Aktaruzzaman aka Ayatullah were present in the view exchange meeting. Architect Iqbal Habib, Joint Secretary, Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon was the moderator of the view exchange meeting.