Alhaj M Manjur Alam Manju, mayor of the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC), has said that the government can improve the country’s economy by making Chittagong the commercial capital of Bangladesh. He said the port city can also be developed as a tourist hub. Starting tomorrow, the CCC is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. On this occasion, it has taken up a three-day programme. Many foreign guests, along with other important personalities, will participate in the event.
“Chittagong needs development to enrich the country’s economy. The people of Chittagong have long been demanding a planned development. But, no government has taken initiatives to develop the port city as the economic hub of the country,” he said, in an exclusive interview with The Independent.
“Chittagong can also be a renowned education centre. Many private entrepreneurs are eager to set up educational institutions here. They will be happy if the government relaxes some of its rules for establishing private educational institutions. More than one crore people of Chittagong, including 50 lakh in urban areas, are suffering from paucity of educational institutions,” he added. He said the CCC is running a university and around 50 educational institutions in the city. Several private universities are also active here. But these are insufficient for the growing population of Chittagong, he added.
Manjur Alam mentioned that the CCC prides itelf on patronising educational institutes in its glorious history of 150 years.
“The CCC has achieved great success in the healthcare sector. It’s running health centres and hospitals in the port city, in spite of severe funds crunch. If the government allocates funds for the hospitals run by the CCC, the people of Chittagong will be benefited,” he told The Independent.
He said that Chittagong can be transformed into an industrial city with planned development. He expressed regret that no government has ever taken steps in this regard.
“There are frequent power cuts and gas crisis. Lack of infrastructure and poor communication system are hurting us as Chittagong is fast losing its heritage of trade and commerce activities. But the port city is blessed natural resources, including a natural sea port, lakes and a river. Unfortunately, we’re not tapping into those resources,” he added. “Besides, Chittagong can be part of a tourist hub with the surrounding cities like Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachari. The government ought to take a long-term plan for this,” he noted.
The CCC mayor alleged that the city corporation’s allocation has not been increased over the years. “The present government allocation is insufficient for providing service to the ever growing population,” he said.
“I’ve tried to weed out corruption from the CCC. I’ve also tried my best to resolve the problem of waterlogging in the city. The CCC has started excavating two cannels which were illegally occupied by some land grabbers. I’ve established new colleges in Chittagong and ensured congenial environment at the CCC’s premier university,” he added.
“It’s true that I can’t do everything in three years. But, I did my best to serve the people of Chittagong,” he said.
“I decorated the city during the ICC Cricket World Cup. Many sculptures and establishments were set up during that tournament. It enhanced the city’s image before the world,” he observed.
Manjur Alam sought cooperation from everyone for making Chittagong a modern city and for providing services to local residents.
-With The Independent input
