Atiqul takes office as DNCC mayor

Dhaka North City Corporation mayor Atiqul Islam took charge of the office on Wednesday for the second consecutive term.

Acting DNCC mayor Mohammad Zamal Mostafa formally handed over the charge to Atiqul at this noon here.

DNCC chief executive officer Md Abdul Hai, secretary Rabindra Sree Barua and chief health officer brigadier general Mominur Rahman Mamun were present in the charge-taking function, among others.

Earlier, Atiqul took oath of the office as DNCC mayor on 27 February. The polls to the DNCC were held on 1 February while he took part in the election with ruling Awami League ticket.

After taking the charge of DNCC mayor, Atiqul held an online press briefing from his office.

In the briefing, he said with the help of BRAC, the DNCC will set up eight booths for collecting samples of COVID-19 in the city corporation area within this week while there is also a plan to set up a coronavirus testing lab.

Highlighting different initiatives of the DNCC to tackle the COVID-19 situation, Atiqul urged the house owners in the city corporation not to harass the physicians and nurses who are serving the coronavirus patients.

He also warned of taking stern actions against those who will harass the health services providers and urged the house owners to lodge complaints to the DNCC if they face any problem.

Noting that initiatives have been taken to protect the DNCC’s field-level workers from being infected with COVID-19, the DNCC mayor said, however, if any worker is tested coronavirus positive or dies of the disease, he or she will get a financial assistance under the health insurance programme.