This year’s budgets for the bifurcated City Corporations (North and South) of the capital are proving to be quite a challenge for the newly elected mayors.
Annisul Haque, a business leader who has become the first mayor of the bifurcated Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), and Sayeed Khokon, mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), have their task cut out over the decentralization of the corporations’ services. Sayeed Khokon, son of late Mohammad Hanif, the first mayor of the Dhaka City Corporation before its split, was elected with Awami League support to the post of DSCC mayor.
Sayeed Khokon belongs to a political family. His father was an elected Member of Parliament from Dhaka-12 constituency in 1973 and served as a whip of the National Parliament. Mohammad Hanif also served as the president of Dhaka City Awami League. He served as the first elected mayor of Dhaka City Corporation (undivided) from 1994 till 2002.
Hanif died on November 28, 2006, at Apollo Hospital, as a result of multiple organ failure. He suffered splinter injuries during the 2004 Dhaka grenade attack on a rally of the Awami League at Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital. The Gulistan-Chittagong Road Flyover has been named Mayor Mohammad Hanif Flyover.
During the City Corporation elections this year, Sayeed Khokon had pledged to maintain the commitment to development on his father’s part, and fulfil the latter’s dreams. He has to handle this huge responsibility and is occupying such an administrative position for the first time. On the other hand, Annisul Haque—as the head of department of an international trade organisation—has adequate experience in financial management.
Haque is the immediate past president of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the apex trade body of South Asia, representing the federations of national chambers of commerce of all South Asian countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka).
He was also president of the Federation of the Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI), the apex trade body of the country, as well as the president of the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers’ and Exporters’ Association (BGMEA) for two terms in 2005 and 2006.