Prime minister sets 48-hour deadline for waste clearance and dengue prevention

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has given Dhaka’s two city corporations 48 hours to remove sacrificial animal waste, clear drainage channels and take measures to prevent dengue. He has instructed that if the work is not completed within the stipulated time, the officials concerned will be withdrawn from their posts and face strict departmental disciplinary action.

State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam confirmed the directive to Prothom Alo on Friday night. He said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, without informing anyone in advance, personally drove through various parts of Dhaka for nearly four hours—from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Friday—to inspect the situation.

Accompanying him in the vehicle were State Minister Mir Shahe Alam, Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Md Abdus Salam, BNP National Executive Committee Special Secretary Muhammad Belayet Hossain Mridha and the Prime Minister’s Private Secretary-2 Mehedul Islam.

During the inspection, the Prime Minister visited Hatirpool, Elephant Road, Green Road, Farmgate and Karwan Bazar. Seeing not only sacrificial animal waste but also previously accumulated rubbish still lying on the streets in those areas, he expressed strong dissatisfaction. Alarmed by what he described as serious negligence and mismanagement in waste management, he immediately ordered administrative action.

On the Prime Minister’s instructions, Md Sadequr Rahman, regional executive officer of Zone 5 of the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), and Kazi Saleh Mustanzir, regional executive officer of Zone 1 of the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), were immediately attached to the Ministry of Public Administration for negligence in carrying out their duties. Disciplinary action against them has also been ordered.

Mir Shahe Alam said, “Prime Minister Tarique Rahman asked me and the administrator of Dhaka South City Corporation to come in front of his residence. When we arrived, he told us to leave our vehicles and join him in his car. We had no prior idea why he had called us or where he intended to go.”

It later became clear that the Prime Minister had personally set out to inspect waste management on the ground while driving himself.

Following the surprise inspection, strict instructions were issued to the chief executive officers, chief waste management officers and chief health officers of both city corporations. The state minister said that within the 48-hour period covering 30 and 31 May (Saturday and Sunday), all rubbish across Dhaka must be cleared, drainage systems restored and effective dengue-prevention measures implemented.

The Prime Minister has made it clear that if visible improvements are not achieved within the specified timeframe, more severe disciplinary measures will be taken against the senior officials responsible. It has also been stated unequivocally that no laxity will be tolerated in view of the public health risks ahead of the monsoon season.