With limited resources of the Mymensingh City Corporation authorities during the acute crisis of manpower, weak infrastructure, are working tirelessly to build and develop a sustainable city by meeting the needs of 8.5 lakh citizens.
On October 14, 2018, in such a context, Mymensingh City Corporation (MCC) started its journey with 21 square kilometers of 21 wards of the defunct municipality and 70 square kilometers of 12 wards from neighboring unions. However, the Mymensingh City Corporation under the leadership of the young mayor Md Ikramul Haque Titu has made progress in infrastructure construction and civic services in just 4 years. At the moment, the main roads and alleys of every ward of MCC are witnessing extensive construction of roads and drains.
According to the sources of the City Corporation, at the moment, under the construction of road drainage infrastructure and improvement of public service projects of Mymensingh City Corporation, works worth about 563 crores are going on in various wards. 97 km of RCC, 78 km of BC and 2 km of CC roads, 85 km of drains and 7 km of footpaths are being constructed. Never before has so much work been done together for the development of Mymensingh city. Also, the City Corporation has completed 80 km of new roads and 43 km of drains in these 4 years from other projects.
City Corporation was working from the beginning to solve one of the problems of waterlogging in the city. Already the problem of waterlogging inside the main city has been solved to a great extent. The citizens of the city feel that the ongoing underground pipe drain work at Natun Bazar Rail Crossing is a good initiative. This will facilitate the drainage of water from the canals, which will improve the overall waterlogging situation.
The work of installing modern LED lights along with poles on about 165 kilometers of roads in different wards of the city has been completed in city lighting. However, the issue that caught everyone's attention in the transfer from the municipality to the Mymensingh City Corporation is waste management. Mymensingh City Corporation is managing about 500 million tons of waste every day even with the manpower of the defunct municipality. Night waste management is in progress. Apart from this, waste collection is being done under contract with an organization called clean city for waste collection from houses. The treatment plant is being constructed with its help. Besides, the waste-to-power project is also awaiting approval.
However, City Corporation Mayor Ikramul Haque Titu thinks that more progress was possible in the development of the city. He said that if the global crisis caused by the Coronavirus crisis and the Russia-Ukraine war had not occurred, it would have been possible to do more work in the development of the city.
However, the way Mymensingh City Corporation Mayor Ikramul Haque Titu has taken risks to deal with Coronavirus, keep people safe and reach humanitarian aid to the people has been widely appreciated. In addition to 1327 tons of rice and food aid of 65 lakh Tk from the government and city corporation, he has distributed lakhs of packets of food items among the needy people on his own initiative. Due to Covid-19 vaccine registration assistance, area and group based vaccination campaign etc. it has been possible to give 2 dose vaccination to about 95% people in Mymensingh City Corporation area.
A city maternity home and three primary health care centers have been set up in 2022. From these centers, the general public including mothers and children are receiving health care at low cost or free of cost. Identification of mosquito hotspots and regular CRUSH programs have resulted in no locally reported dengue patients bitten by Aedes mosquitoes in the city. Moreover, MCC also has 100% target success in vitamin A plus campaign, EPI activities, deworming etc.
MCC's efforts to improve the quality of life of marginalized people were also worth seeing. Since 2018, 1 thousand 192 people have been trained in beauty parlour, computer, driving, mobile servicing, etc., education scholarships for 2 thousand 576 students, nutrition support for 1 thousand 476 people, health and nutrition counseling and nutritional materials for 312 adolescent girls, marginal population. Construction of tubewells, road lights, drains, toilets, septic tanks etc. for Mymensingh City Corporation. To spread the spirit of Bangabandhu and the liberation war, Mayor Ikramul Haque Titu set up Joy Bangla Squire near Shambhuganj Bridge. The square has become a unique architecture commemorating the liberation war and Bangabandhu. Besides, Bangabandhu Gallery has been set up in the town hall. Every day, many visitors get a chance to see Bangabandhu's rare pictures, documentaries, speeches, etc.
In the upgradation of citizen services, several services of MCC have already been taken online, the city corporation has been divided into three regions and the functions of birth registration, mosquito control, waste management etc. have been decentralized. It saves time and labor of the citizen.
Mayor Ikramul Haque Titu said in this context, I am working together with everyone to realize the dream that the honorable Prime Minister has gifted the city corporation to the people of Mymensingh. Coronavirus epidemic and global crisis have slowed down our pace, but we are working for the welfare of the people with our best.
According to City Corporation sources, Mymensingh City Corporation is working on the construction of a bus and truck stand, children's park, Nagar Bhavan, Gorasthan, Swashmanghat, water treatment plant to make the city a modern and sustainable city. If these initiatives are implemented, it is expected that the expectations of the city dwellers will be fulfilled to a large extent.
