To illuminate different areas under Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) the authority has bought 46,410 LED bulbs from Europe with a cost of 369 crore taka. Those will be set up alongside the roads under DNCC areas. Local Government Minister Tazul Islam and DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam inaugurated the project at IAB auditorium at Agargaon in the capital on Friday. In the program Local Government Minister Tazul Islam said, there were many problems in Dhaka and still there are. But if we try from our respective position then Dhaka could be made as an eye catching city. In this regard everybody has to be conscious. Many DNCC areas will be illuminated by setting up these LED lamps. I am glad to be part of this process. The work has started to set up these smart LED lamps on the roads of DNCC. Concerned said the whole DNCC areas will be illuminated by these lamps by December in this year. Thanking local government ministry DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam said, 46 thousand lamps were brought from Europe. Those were tested by BUET experts and they said that these lamps are not harmful for eyes. Officials of DNCC, concerned ministry including Senior Secretary of local government ministry Helal Uddin Ahmed were present in the program. AH  

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has cleaned its area from the sacrificial animals waste within 24 hours after cooperation from all quarters. With total 11 thousand 508 cleaning workers and other managerial officials including 2667 cleaners of its own DNCC performed the activities. DNCC’s chief waste management officer Commodore M Saidur Rahman shared the information on Sunday afternoon. Commodore M Saidur Rahman said, DNCC cleaners and PWCSP workers have cleaned the city areas collecting the waste from homes and slaughtering places through STS and containers. There were 256 fixed slaughtering places in the corporation area. The Mayor has initiated a plan to build a modern slaughtering house at Gabtali in the city according to the direction of the Prime Minister. He said, some wards were declared clean from the animal waste between 5 pm to 10 pm yesterday by the respective Ward Councilors. Later other wards were declared waste free. AH     

The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) authorities have designated 256 places for Qurbani, sacrifice of animals, in the Eid-ul-Azha urging the citizens to slaughter sacrificial animals in those designated spots. “We have designated 256 places for sacrificing animals. The citizens should slaughter animals in those designated spots,” DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam told an online meeting with DNCC officials-employees on waste management of sacrificial animals. He asked all concerned to ensure proper management of cattle markets and waste management of sacrificial animals. The mayor said likewise previous years, all wastes of sacrificial animals would be removed within 24 hours as around 10,000 tonnes of wastes are expected to be produced in the corporation areas on the day of Eid-ul-Azha, one of the biggest religious festivals of the Muslim community. Atiqul said monitoring measures have been strengthened as health guidelines are strictly followed at cattle markets in the wake of the deadly coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak as a monitoring committee comprising 10 ward councilors have already been formed to this end. On behalf of the mayor letters have been sent to imams of each mosque in DNCC areas to deliver sermons during Jummah Khutba raising awareness about sacrificing animals in designated spots and not dumping animal wastes here and there. Besides, leaflets distribution, campaigning on social media and playing recordings of awareness raising messages through loudspeakers are also being carried out calling upon the people to refrain from sacrifice animals here and there rather do that in designated places maintaining hygiene and keeping wastes in specified bags to cooperate the authorities in proper waste management. The DNCC authorities imparted training to 250 imams ad 250 persons, who prepare meat, keeping them readied for sacrificing animals in halal way, said a press release. A total of 11,508 cleaners including primary waste collection service provider (PWCSP) workers will remain ready for proper waste management while additional manpower and vehicles have been kept to this end, it said adding leaves of DNCC officials and employees have been canceled. Some 430 heavy and light vehicles are kept ready while waters mixed with disinfectant and bleaching powders will be sprayed through 11 special vehicles at the spots where people will sacrifice animals to keep the atmosphere free from odor pollution. DNCC started distribution of around 6,00,000 special bags among citizens to keep animal wastes in eco-friendly way to cooperate the authorities in dumping the wastes in a proper way. DNCC Chief Executive Officer Md Abdul Hai, Secretary Rabindra Sri Barua, Chief Health Officer Brigadier General Mohammad Mominur Rahman Mamun, Chief Engineer Brigadier General Muhammad Amirul Islam, Chief Estate Officer Md Muzammel Hoque, Chief Waste Management Officer Commodore M Saidur Rahman, General Manager (Transport) Abdul Latif Khan and zonal executive officers were present, among others. Source: BSS AH

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam on Monday said East Rajabazar will be put under 'experimental' lockdown from Tuesday midnight. “The decision was taken as the density of Covid-19 patients increased in this area,” he said at an online meeting of Covid-19 prevention committee. The meeting decided to set a control room at Naznin School and College in East Rajabazar with DNCC ward councilor and representatives from Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Dhaka Metropolitan Police, A2i, E-commerce of Bangladesh (E-Cab) and other concerned. Only one entrance and exit at Green Road beside IBA Hostel will be open while all kinds of vehicle movement will be shut in the area. Public movement will be limited while people living in East Rajabazar will not be permitted to go out and none from outside can enter the area as well. Daily essentials, medical goods will be available online and it will be sent to houses by A2i and E-Cab while a group of trained workforce was prepared for home delivery. One or two vans will carry vegetables, fish, meat and other goods in the area for the people who do not have online facilities, said DNCC Mayor.Van drivers and goods will be disinfected before entering the area. Local Ward Councilor Faridur Rahman has made a list of workless distress people and relief goods will be provided to them. DGHS will provide telemedicine service for the sick people. The information about lockdown is being announced from religious institutions from Monday. A booth for Covid-19 testing will be kept open from 10am to 4pm at Naznin School and College which will be led by DGHS and Brac. Police will continue patrolling while mobile courts will be active in the lockdown area. Ambulance and workers of emergency services like electricity, water and gas supply will be allowed to enter the lockdown area. A cleanliness team of DNCC will work for waste management but no medical wastes can be mixed with households wastes. Anyone can contact emergency number 333 for relief. Earlier on Saturday, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said the government is planning to designate areas according to colored zones - red, yellow and green - to stem the spread of coronavirus. Different parameters have been set to separate the three and avoid arbitrary zoning. Areas with 30 infections per 100,000 of population will be marked as ‘Red Zones’, he said adding that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will take final decision after reviewing the proposal. Outside the capital, areas with ten confirmed cases per 100,000 people will be categorized as Red Zone,” he said. For areas that have three to 19 cases per 100,000 of population will be categorized as ‘Yellow Zones’, he said, adding that areas with even fewer cases will be ‘Green Zones’. Bangladesh has so far reported 68,554 coronavirus cases and 930 deaths. Contact number of ground coordination team Faridur Rahman Iran, ward 27 councilor- 01911380633, local regional executive officer Masud Hossain- 01715407139, Officer-in-Charge of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station- 01713398335, Brac representative Dr Farhana- 01713095279, IEDCR representative Dr Farzana-   01719212591, PS to Ward Councilor Masud Hossain- 01711939796 Source: UNB AH

Md. Atiqul Islam has taken charge as the Mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) for the second consecutive term. He took charge from the acting mayor Jamal Mostafa. Atiqul Islam was handed over the responsibility at a simple ceremony organized at the DNCC Nagar Bhaban at Banani in the capital at around 12 pm on Wednesday. High officials including DNCC Chief Executive Officer Abdul Hye, Secretary Rabindrashree Barua, Chief Medical Officer Brigadier General Mominur Rahman Mamun were present in the program. Mentionable, Md. Atiqul Islam won the election for DNCC mayoral post for second consecutive term held on February 1. Earlier he was elected as the mayor for the first term in the by-election that was held on February 28, 2019 following the death of first DNCC mayor Annisul Huq. In that tenure he performed his duty for nearly one year as the mayor. AH      

The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) is going to launch free dengue tests from May 11. "Mobile courts will be operated from May 10 and drives will be conducted from May 16 at buildings under the city corporation," DNCC Public Relations Officer ASM Mamun said Tuesday. Fines or jail terms or both will be imposed if aedes mosquito breeding grounds are found. A 10-day cleaning program will be launched from May 16 to destroy mosquito breeding grounds, he said. Aedes mosquitoes can easily breed in stagnant water. Accumulated water in houses, roofs of private institution, bathroom commode and under-construction buildings need to be cleaned. The free dengue tests will be available at five city maternity clinics and 22 city health centers in DSCC from 9am to 2pm every day except Friday. Meanwhile, one new dengue case was reported in the last 24 hours till 8am on Tuesday. Since the beginning of the year, 298 dengue cases were reported, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Bangladesh experienced a massive dengue outbreak last year when 101,354 people were hospitalized, putting severe strain on the outstretched health system. Of them, 101,037 made full recovery. According to official figures, the mosquito-borne disease killed 179 people in 2019. This year, as the country struggles to contain the spread of highly contagious coronavirus, a dengue outbreak will only make the situation worse. Source: UNB AH

Senior BNP leader Moudud Ahmed on Friday said the Election Commission’s (EC) arrangements for elections to two Dhaka city corporations is mere eyewash as the polls will finally turn into a ‘farce’.   “I’d like say the Dhaka city polls are mere eyewash. You’ll see uproars, processions and slogans, but all enthusiasm will be over just two days before the elections,” he said. Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader said a councilor candidate of the party was arrested Thursday. “There’s an arrest spree and panic is being created while election activities are also going on. These are eyewash. This election is nothing but a farce of democracy.” Jatiyatabadi Tanti Dal arranged the discussion at the Jatiya Press Club. Though they know the city polls is a farce, Moudud said their party joined it as it is a democratic political party with huge public support. “If people can cast their votes, the candidates of BNP will defeat the Awami League’s aspirants with big margins in the city polls. We also know the government won’t let it happen. That’s why this election is eyewash,” he said. The BNP leader also said the government will again prove through the city polls that democracy has been destroyed. Moudud, a BNP standing committee member, said the government influencing the judiciary to deny BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia bail is a glaring example of it. Just a day after the court’s order on Khaleda’s bail petition, he said the Prime Minister had said Khaleda Zia had been staying in jail like a queen, and she is fine. “We got the reflection of her signal in the court order.”  The BNP leader said it is not possible now to free Khaleda Zia without a movement. “We’ll announce programs, and won’ return home this time until we succeed.” Moudud alleged that the government cannot protect the country’s interest as it is following a knee-jerking foreign policy. He said the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Thursday said 445 people returned to Bangladesh from India over the last two month following the enactment of Citizenship Amendment Act in the neighboring country. “The BGB said all the intruders are Bangladeshis. It means they’re recognizing (Bangladeshis are illegally staying in India).  What can be more shameful than it?” He alleged that India is sending people, who left here years ago and became their citizens, to Bangladesh as intruders. “But to hold on to power, the government cannot protest against it,” he alleged. Source: UNB AH 

The election schedule for Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation has been declared. The election will be held in these two city corporations on January 30. The last date of nomination paper submission is on December 31 and last date of withdrawal is on January 9. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda delivered the information while declaring the election schedule at a press conference at the Nirbachan Bhaban on Sunday. In this two city elections vote casting will be held using the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in every center. CEC KM Nurul Huda said, the last date of nomination paper submission is December 31. Scrutiny of the nomination papers will be taken place till January 2. Candidates can withdraw their nomination paper till January 9. Voting will take place on January 30. Four Election Commissioners Mahbub Talukder, Rafiqul Islam, Kabita Khanam and Brigadier General (retd.) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury and Election Commission Secretary Md. Alamgir were present at the press conference. The elections of DNCC and DSCC were held on April 28, 2015. After holding the elections the first meeting of DNCC was held on 14th May in that year. On the other hand the first meeting of DSCC was held on 17th May in that year. As a result the tenure of DNCC will be expired on 13th May, 2020 and DSCC on 16th May, 2020. AH    

After learning from the mistakes Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam has assured about continuing yearlong anti-mosquito drive in the capital. The assurance came from an awareness program on Dengue at Gulshan in the capital on Sunday. Meanwhile, Dhaka Officers Club has begun the seven days long campaign of free dengue test. This year the outbreak of dengue has spread throughout the country including capital Dhaka creating panic among the general people. Though the two city corporations have taken different measures but the situation is not under control. In the program organized by Sompreetir Bangladesh, the Mayor informed that they will take yearlong action to kill all types of mosquitoes including Aedes. On the other hand Dhaka Officers Club will continue their free dengue test camp till 31st August from 10 am to 4 pm. AH   

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam on Wednesday alleged that they are not getting cooperation from the city dwellers in conducting the combing operation to destroy larvae of Aedes mosquito at houses. He warned of taking action against those who will create barrier to conduct the drive by enforcing different sections of the Penal Code of 1860 on charge of obstructing public servants from discharging their duties. “While conducting combing drive, our city corporation officials are facing obstacles by house owners as they’re not allowing them to go inside,” he said. The mayor came up with the remarks while speaking at a meeting on Aedes mosquito elimination drive at a convention centre in the city’s Gulshan area. Reports UNB. Narrating his own experience, Atiqul said he had to wait for at least 45 minutes at some houses to carry out drives. “They (house owners) kept their lifts inoperative and not allowed us to go up to rooftops saying that (rooftop) keys were missing.”    He said the DNCC officials are finding it difficult to continue the drive to destroy the mosquito breeding grounds due to noncooperation by house owners. “So, we’ll take actions from now on under sections 183, 187, 269 and 270 of the Penal Code of 1860 against those who will try to create obstacles to conducting the drive.” In light of their experience from their pilot operation at DNCC’s ward No-19, the mayor said they will carry out the combing drive in the remaining 35 wards from Sunday. “I think city dwellers will cooperate with us and the councilors will play their due role in this regard.” Speaking at the program, Local Government and Rural Development Minister Md Tajul Islam said their ministry will provide all-out support to the city authorities for fighting against dengue and Aedes mosquitoes. “We request our councilors to play a pro-active role in eliminating Aedes mosquitoes.” He voiced satisfaction over the active efforts by the DNCC to destroy the breeding grounds of Aedes mosquitoes. AH