PM Seeks Retired Officials' Help for Dhaka Cleanliness Drive

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed the authorities concerned to involve retired government officials and senior citizens in neighbourhood-level cleanliness campaigns to build a clean and green Dhaka and utilise their experience and services for public welfare.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives State Minister Mir Shahe Alam disclosed the directive at a press briefing at Karabi Hall of the Prime Minister's Office on Saturday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, Tarique chaired a review meeting on cleanliness activities in Dhaka at the Prime Minister's Office.

The Prime Minister was briefed on the progress of the activities and expressed some satisfaction with the work carried out so far, Shahe Alam said.

He said the government had taken several initiatives to make Dhaka and other metropolitan cities cleaner, with different ministries and agencies working through various committees.

The committees formally began their work on October 27.

According to the state minister, the committees submitted several recommendations to the Prime Minister. One of the key proposals he accepted was to involve retired officials and senior citizens in neighbourhood-level initiatives.

Around 39,000 retired government officials and employees live in Dhaka, Shahe Alam said, describing them as experienced citizens whose knowledge and services could be used for public welfare.

“The Prime Minister has directed us to involve these retired officials in the programme in every neighbourhood across the country. Committees will be formed at the neighbourhood level, where they will serve as advisers or take responsible positions. We also want to involve young people alongside them,” he said.

The retired officials and young volunteers will work with government officials to conduct awareness campaigns on dengue prevention, waste disposal, keeping footpaths clear, improving drainage systems and ensuring proper household waste collection and delivery to secondary transfer stations (STSs), he added.

Shahe Alam said the initiative would be implemented soon as part of the Prime Minister's vision of “Clean Dhaka, Green Dhaka”.

Earlier, committees were formed around the 20 regional offices of the two Dhaka city corporations to monitor cleanliness activities directly from the Prime Minister's Office. The committees are headed by directors of the Prime Minister's Office.

Each committee includes the relevant city corporation's regional executive officer, an executive magistrate to conduct mobile courts when necessary, a Public Works Department engineer, an assistant director or director from RAJUK, and a representative of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education to facilitate visits to educational institutions.

An inspector-level metropolitan police officer has also been included to coordinate law enforcement activities.

Officials responsible for waste management and executive engineers from the two city corporations are also members, alongside representatives of the Directorate General of Health Services, the Directorate General of Medical Education and Dhaka WASA. Hospitals and medical colleges are also included in the programme.

The committee heads can co-opt additional members if necessary, the state minister said.

He said the committees were reconstituted following the Prime Minister's directives. The Prime Minister's Office subsequently held a meeting with around 600 members to explain their responsibilities in monitoring cleanliness activities and making recommendations.

So far, the 20 committees have visited 248 educational institutions to assess cleanliness and raise awareness among students.

Teachers were asked to discuss cleanliness and other awareness issues during physical training parades and guide students on their roles in tree plantation and maintaining clean surroundings.

The committees also visited 129 government and private hospitals and clinics, 112 government residential quarters, 152 markets and shopping complexes, and 188 roads, parks, footpaths and public spaces.

They additionally inspected 130 other locations, including bus terminals, railway stations and railway settlements.

Shahe Alam said the Prime Minister had directed the authorities to establish more secondary transfer stations for household waste, as existing facilities were inadequate for a city as large as Dhaka.

He said the Prime Minister had instructed the authorities to explore the possibility of setting up environmentally friendly STSs, including underground facilities, as residents often object to such installations over concerns about foul smells and environmental pollution.

The state minister also praised the medical waste management system at icddr,b, describing it as the most modern facility of its kind in Dhaka.

He said a decision had been taken to examine whether the system could be made mandatory for all hospitals and clinics, including government facilities.

The meeting also decided that government accommodation could be withdrawn from residents who failed to take necessary steps to manage waste properly and continued to maintain unhygienic conditions, he said.

Shahe Alam said the committees would continue their activities, while the Prime Minister would hold another review meeting after a month to assess further progress.

The committees also brought to the Prime Minister's attention a shortage of cleaning workers in Dhaka, he said.

To address the shortage, the ministry has already approved the recruitment of 2,000 workers for Dhaka South City Corporation and 1,500 for Dhaka North City Corporation.

The Prime Minister has directed the authorities to expedite the recruitment process so that residents of newly incorporated areas can receive the regular civic services available in the main city, Shahe Alam said.

Prime Minister's Press Secretary Saleh Shibly, Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon, Prime Minister's Office Director General (Administration) Abdul Wadud Chowdhury, Deputy Press Secretary-1 Jahidul Islam Roni and other members of the press wing were present at the briefing.