City govt needed for planned development of Chattogram: Administrator

Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Administrator Shahadat Hossain on Friday stressed the need for establishing a city government to develop Chattogram into a planned, clean, green and liveable city.

He made the remarks at a seminar titled “Chattogram: Economic Gateway & Lifeline of Bangladesh” organised by the Commonwealth Journalists Association-Bangladesh Chapter (CJA-B) at the auditorium of the World Trade Centre in Agrabad.

Shahadat said it had become difficult for the city corporation to coordinate development activities and public services as different agencies were responsible for different aspects of urban management.

“Establishing a city government will help bring development planning and service delivery under a coordinated framework.”

Describing greater Chattogram as Bangladesh’s arteries, he warned that weak connectivity and poor infrastructure coordination could hamper the city's development, just as blocked arteries affect the heart. "Before implementing a project, we must plan how to make it feasible and sustainable," he said.

Sharing his experience in office, the CCC administrator said he had been advocating the establishment of a city government since the first day of taking office as its mayor, as he realised that it would be difficult to build a planned city without such a system.

Although the mayor is often regarded as the city's guardian, he said, many important areas remained outside the city corporation's direct control.

Shahadat said some aspects of waste management fell under the district administration, while certain playgrounds were not under the city corporation's control.

“Various development works in the Agrabad area are also being carried out by the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA).”

He said coordination among different agencies was essential to address waterlogging, keep the city clean, expand greenery and ensure a healthy urban environment.

The CCC administrator stressed that such coordination should be institutionalised at the state level rather than being limited to meetings among agencies.

Referring to solar power allocations for 13 city corporations, he said Dhaka South and Dhaka North each received 10 crore taka, while Chattogram received 5 crore taka.

Shahadat also mentioned recent allocations of 1,500 crore taka each to two city corporations, saying the disparities reflected Chattogram's neglect despite its potential and should be raised at relevant forums.

He said people expected Chattogram to be developed like Singapore or Toronto, but the city corporation was not being given the authority and responsibilities required to achieve that goal.

The administrator also urged journalists to focus on data-driven reporting on urban issues instead of highlighting isolated incidents without examining the broader situation.

Highlighting Chattogram's potential in tourism, pharmaceuticals, semiconductor and chip manufacturing, and the leather industry, he said coordinated planning and initiatives were needed to develop these sectors.

Mohammed Amirul Haque, president of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry, attended the event as the guest of honour, while Parveen F Chowdhury, president of CJA-B, presided over the seminar.