City corp polls are over. Chaos back on Sylhet roads, footpaths

Discipline in Sylhet city has broken down in the last one month since the city corporation polls, with rickshaws occupying roads and hawkers expanding their stalls from footpaths to roads, hampering traffic and causing public sufferings – taking chance of the city corporation being almost "guardian-less".

Current mayor of the Sylhet City Corporation, BNP central leader Ariful Haque Chowdhury, who will remain in the office until the first week of November, has engaged himself more in party activities, while the upcoming mayor, Awami League-nominated Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury is currently staying in London.

There are allegations that Mayor Ariful, who stepped away from the mayoral race this year, does not come to office regularly, and the councillors who were not candidates or were defeated in the polls are not available in the area.

The new mayor, Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury, who took oath on 3 July, is scheduled to assume office on 7 November.

As a result, normal activities of the city corporation have come to a standstill during this interim period, disrupting regular services and causing sufferings to the city dwellers.

Ahsan Russell, a trader in Zindabazar of the city, told The Business Standard that now the roads have been taken over by hawkers, and there is no way to walk on the footpaths. There is no one to see this.

Regular drives by the city corporation for free footpaths have remained suspended for two months. As a result, hawkers have taken over most of the city roads beyond the footpaths, causing suffering to the pedestrians. Traffic on the roads is also being disrupted.

During his tenure, Mayor Ariful banned rickshaw movement on the Barutkhana-Jallarpar and Court Point-Chowhatta roads to ease traffic congestion, and the city corporation staff used to monitor the intersections to prevent rickshaws from entering these roads.

But, rickshaws have been back on these roads since before the elections as city corporation staff responsible for controlling rickshaw movement at various intersections in the city have been withdrawn.

In other years, when waterlogging occurred in Sylhet city, city corporation teams led by Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury would inspect the affected areas and take initiative to drain the water immediately. But this time, when many parts of the city were inundated due to heavy rain on 2 July, Mayor Arif was not seen anywhere, and no remarkable initiative from the city corporation was visible.

Suhel Ahmed, a resident of the Upashahar area of the city, told The Business Standard, "When it rains, water enters our house. Earlier, mayor-councillors used to visit us. The city corporation workers used to conduct drain cleaning drives. But no one was seen this time. It seems that the entire city has become guardian-less".

Sayed Ahmed, a resident of the city's Kazitula area, said, "Earlier, drinking water was supplied by the city corporation twice a day. But after the election, we don't get water at least once a day. Even after complaining to the city corporation, we did not get any results".

In addition, the roads in various parts of the city have become dilapidated due to lack of renovation for a long time.

Many residents of the city have complained that they have to face suffering even to get emergency services like birth registration, death certificate and trade licence from the city corporation.

However, denying the allegations, Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury, said, "The normal activities of the city corporation are going on. But since I am a worker of the BNP and the party is now staging the one-point movement, I am also giving time to the party. I am active in the movement. However, there is no disruption in the activities of the city corporation."

On the other hand, before leaving for London, newly elected mayor Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury said, "I have not yet assumed the responsibility [of mayor]. I heard about the problems and sufferings of the city dwellers…Planned initiatives will be taken to solve these problems after assuming the responsibility."

The Sylhet City Corporation election took place on 21 June, where Awami League nominated Anwarul Haque Chowdhury secured win for the first time, and current mayor Ariful remained absent from the race in accordance with his party's decision.