The city dwellers are experiencing new problems following the bifurcation of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) on November 29, 2011.
In reality neither the North nor the South City Corporation could deliver the goods.
The bifurcation of DCC instead of offering better services to the city dwellers, has multiplied the woes of its 150 million population. The efficiency of DCC has suffered serious setback following its bifurcation as it is now headed by government administrators and not by elected mayors.
The administrator is again appointed for a period of six months and before he becomes familiar with problems of DCC work, it would be time for him to leave the office. The officials are not answerable or accountable to the people as they are not elected.
The elected ward councillors numbering 90 also had to vacate their offices following the bifurcation of DCC. The elected mayor has been replaced by two administrators.
The city dwellers find it difficult to reach the officials to bring to their attention the pitiable condition of roads, water logging or poor waste management for redress.
The decision to split the city corporation into two was more on political consideration than governance-related, experts in the field said.
Dr. Badiul Alam Majumdar, Secretary of Sujon said elected representatives must run all local government bodies including City Corporations, municipalities, Zila Parishads and Union Parishads. The government's decision to split DCC was imprudent, he said.
In democracy it cannot be thought of without elected representatives and there is no constitutional scope to appoint administrator in any local government body, he said. He demanded immediate election of DCC to ensure better services to the city dwellers.
Dr Akbar Ali Khan, former advisor to the caretaker government said, the decision to split DCC was unconstitutional, unrealistic and unnecessary. Though the government had split it in the name of increasing civic amenities, in reality, the decision was politically motivated and did not follow legal procedures, Dr. Khan said.
Elected representatives have to run local government bodies. He urged the government to reconsider the DCC split for the greater interest of the people.
Md Jahangir Alam, a resident of Nayatola, Moghbazar said, both city corporations have failed to meet the demands of the tax payers in absence of necessary coordination and cooperation among the utility service providers. 'We are paying tax but getting no service in return," he added.
Poor state of roads, water logging and lack of waste management have simply compounded our miseries, he said adding even a little rainfall inundates roads at Shanti Nagar, Baily Road, Arambagh, Avoy Das Lane and busy commercial hub Motijheel.
The last election to integrated city corporation was held on April 25, 2002 and the city-dwellers could not see DCC elections for the last 11 years.