Govt forms 20 teams to monitor Dhaka cleanliness drives

Authorities target visible improvements in the capital within two months

The government has formed 20 special monitoring teams to oversee cleanliness drives across Dhaka, warning of hefty fines for violations and cancellation of government housing allocations if unhygienic conditions or Aedes mosquito larvae are found.

LGRD State Minister Mir Shahe Alam issued the directives at a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon today.

“There will be no compromise on cleanliness,” he said, warning that government employees who fail to maintain hygiene in their residential quarters could lose their housing allocations.

According to a press release issued by the ministry, the meeting was held at Shapla Hall at 3:00pm, with State Minister for Housing and Public Works Ahmad Sohel Manzur attending as a special guest.

Mir Shahe Alam said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had personally visited government hospitals and residential quarters to assess their conditions, but recent cleanliness drives had found Aedes larvae and serious negligence at large government residential complexes, luxury apartments and hospitals.

He instructed committee members to take legal action and impose heavy fines wherever irregularities or mosquito larvae were found, saying government employees who could not keep their quarters clean had no right to government housing.

The government expects coordinated action by the teams to bring visible improvements to Dhaka within one to two months.

Of the 20 committees, 10 will operate in Dhaka North and 10 in Dhaka South, covering zones corresponding to the regional executive officers of the two city corporations. Director-level officials from the Prime Minister’s Office are heading the committees.

The state minister also said RAJUK and Dhaka South City Corporation were working to clean Hatirjheel, Dhanmondi, Banani and Gulshan lakes. Work is also under way to re-excavate 29 canals under Dhaka North and 26 under Dhaka South, alongside the construction of guide walls and installation of netting.

The government has also decided to introduce fibreboard dustbins after plastic and iron bins were stolen. The two city corporations will install the new bins in phases.

The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister’s Office Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar and attended by members of the 20 monitoring committees.