Expectations from the Rangpur mayor

The voters generously supported Mostafizur Rahman in the Rangpur City Corporation (RpCC) polls on 21 December, making him their new mayor. It is Mostafizur’s turn to repay their faith now.

Jatiya Party candidate Mostafizur defeated former mayor and Awami League-backed candidate Shorfuddin by 98,000 votes. Among the five mayoral candidates, only Mostafizur came up with an election manifesto pledging to address several problems.

Though Rangpur was recognised as a city corporation in 2012, it did not enjoy many governmental privileges. As a result, the last mayor could not do much for his voters.

As a municipality Rangpur only had 53 square kilometres of area, whereas now as a city corporation it covers an area of 203 square kilometres. The newly added areas are still lagging behind as roads are underdeveloped and there is scarcity of electricity and other amenities.

Rangpur has also lost the services it had enjoyed as a union parishad due to the change of status. Elderly allowance is one of them. On the other hand, the city corporation has imposed taxes on agricultural lands in the newly annexed areas.

The mayor should devise a five-year-plan and start working as soon as he takes office. He can start with those that require initiative more rather than budget or manpower.

The temporary street shops could be shifted with a single notice while carefree car parking should be banned and keeping construction materials on the road declared illegal.

The present manpower is enough to ensure cleanliness in the city, but creating awareness should get priority.

The new corporation can hold dialogues with roads and highways department along with the power development board to remove the electricity poles on the roads. The newly imposed agricultural taxes must be reconsidered also.

There is ample scope to restructure the Rangpur City Corporation. Each ward could be provided with a playing ground, amusement centre and lake.

There is enough land to set up new residential areas. Canals of Shyamasundori and Kedi along with the rivers of Ghaghot, Khoksha Ghaghot and Ichhamoti are to be revived for a drastic change.
People want a city free from traffic congestion and demand flyovers at rail crossings. They want to see the auto-rickshaws maintaining discipline. Street lamps and closed circuit TV cameras are needed to contain jacking of motorcycles.

There is a gap between the local administration and the RpCC authorities that needs to bridged.
As the master plan and the organogram of the city corporation are yet to be passed, the city is unplanned.

The prime minister has promised the people of Rangpur development. Though Mostafizur was from Jatiya Party, it should not be an obstacle for development as JaPa chairman HM Ershad is a special envoy to the PM.

It is impossible to run the big projects with only the income of the city corporation. So, it must take help from the government as well as private entities. The former mayor initiated several projects with the help of organisations like JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency). Those should be completed in time.

Every citizen of Rangpur has a duty to the city. If they cooperate, the new mayor can make it a new Rangpur.

Tuhin Wadud: Teacher, Bangla Department, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur.

*This piece, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Nusrat Nowrin.