Chittagong Mayor  on duty

Newly elected Chittagong Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin faces major challenges as he takes office today, around three months after the city polls.

He will have to keep Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) free from partisanship, address the perennial waterlogging problem, avoid conflict of interest and regain the city's image as a clean and green city.

The 41 ward councillors and 14 women reserved councillors of the CCC will also take over their offices today. The tenure of the previous mayor and councillors expired yesterday.

During electioneering, Nasir had pledged to avoid partisanship as mayor. His predecessor M Manjur Alam had been successful in this regard.

Then an adviser to the BNP chairperson, Manjur was not active in politics. Many BNP men had expressed resentment that Manjur as mayor didn't do them any favours.

Nasir, the general secretary of Chittagong city Awami League, has been with the party for a long time. He maintains a close relationship with the party men. So it will be difficult for him to ensure non-partisan service for all.

City residents want the mayor to discharge his duties, rising above his political identity.

The mayor has vowed to end waterlogging permanently within his five-year tenure. Experts said making it happen would be a big challenge for him.

Hundreds of buildings have been built in the city over the years, flouting the National Building Code. Many water bodies have been filled up. Canals and drains have been occupied by grabbers amid lax monitoring and enforcement of law by the Department of Environment and other government offices.

Besides, hill cutting by influential quarters has been going on for years. All these activities must be stopped if the mayor wants to put an end to waterlogging, said urban experts.

The port city was clean even about a decade ago, but now it has turned into a “city of waste”. Residents complained that the cleaners of the city corporation do not clean the garbage in time. The mayor will have to do a lot to improve the city's hygiene.

A businessman by profession, Nasir will have to avoid the conflict of interest. Sources said many businessmen helped him, directly or indirectly, running his election campaign. Many of them might now try to be benefited from the mayor.

The mayor, however, announced that he will not take any benefit from the corporation.

Bringing back the chain of command in the corporation will be another major task for Nasir. Sources said a section of CCC officials had dared not to follow the instructions of previous mayor Manjur Alam. As a result, there was a lack of coordination among the officials which ultimately hurt the delivery of public service.

Nasir is known as a very good organiser. He claimed that he enjoys the blessings of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Now he must make all out efforts to win the hearts of millions as the mayor