DSCC community centres snatched from city dwellers

No other city residents are, possibly, as unfortunate as Dhaka dwellers. It looks like this mega city gives its residents more trouble and fewer facilities.

The management of public transport is distressful. People here waste their valuable time every day for traffic mismanagement and congestion. The city alleys are filled with trash. Many areas go under water even after a moderate rain as canals and drains are not cleaned regularly.

Water supplied by the Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) is contaminated. Many people suffer from gas crisis and irregular water supply by the WASA. Hawkers have occupied Dhaka city's footpaths. Residential areas are filled with a variety of commercial structures. There is an acute crisis of parks and amusement centres. Children and teenagers cannot take part in games and sports due to lack of playgrounds and free spaces. Illegal occupiers have even grabbed lands of many government agencies or institutions. In a nutshell, life is miserable for the residents of the capital city.

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has a total of 34 community centres which are supposed to be used for social gatherings and programmes. But it is seen that 11 community centres, out of 34, are now used by various government agencies. Police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) are using eight community centres as their offices. The remaining three are being used by DSCC itself. The National Board of Revenue is running its office in one of the community centres. The community centres which are now being used as offices of government agencies are no longer community centres. They have been shifted away from the real purpose of community centres.

The city dwellers used to rent these community centres for social programmes at cheap rates. Running offices by government agencies at the community centres has deprived the DSCC residents from their right of using the centres. Actually, the DSCC does not have any right to rent community centres to government agencies. City dwellers are the real owners of these centres.

In 2015, mayor and councillor hopefuls promised city dwellers to construct new community centres and repair the old ones for them if elected. But, they did not keep their words. As many as 10 community centres, out of 34, cannot be used for lack of renovation.

We want the city dwellers' right to be restored by moving away government agencies' offices from the DSCC community centres. The community centres, which need repair, should be reopened after renovation.