Clean-up drive at Hatirjheel after prime minister’s inspection

The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) has begun clearing rubbish from Hatirjheel Lake in the capital after Prime Minister Tarique Rahman personally inspected the area and expressed dissatisfaction with its condition.

A clean-up drive involving more than 150 workers has been underway at the lake since morning today, Saturday.

State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam confirmed the information to Prothom Alo at around 10:30 am.

He said the Prime Minister toured different parts of Dhaka on Friday to assess the city’s waste management situation and subsequently instructed the relevant authorities to take immediate action.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman visited several areas of the capital on Friday. From 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm, he personally drove through different parts of Dhaka to inspect the management of sacrificial animal waste and the progress of ongoing development projects.

During the visit, he expressed dissatisfaction after seeing sacrificial waste as well as previously accumulated rubbish still lying on roads in Hatirpool, Elephant Road, Green Road, Farmgate and Karwan Bazar.

Following the inspection, two regional executive officers from the Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporations were immediately attached to the Ministry of Public Administration. Disciplinary action was also ordered against them over allegations of negligence in carrying out their duties.

At the same time, the chief executive officers, chief waste management officers and chief health officers of both city corporations were instructed to clear waste, restore drainage systems and take measures to prevent dengue within 48 hours.

Speaking about the clean-up operation at Hatirjheel Lake, Rajuk Chairman Md Riazul Islam told Prothom Alo, “This problem occurs during every Eid. People tend to dump more rubbish along the lake during Eid-ul-Azha in particular. We conduct such clean-up drives every year.”

The Rajuk chairman added that the clean-up operation would continue.