Marking one year in office, Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain has unveiled an ambitious vision to fundamentally transform the city's relationship with garbage, announcing a future where waste becomes a source of revenue for both the city and its residents.
"Biogas will be made from waste, green diesel will be made. You will sell waste, we will pay. That time will come," Mayor Hossain declared at a ceremony held at the International Convention Center in Kazir Dewri on Thursday afternoon. The event commemorated the first anniversary of his term, which began on November 3, 2024.
The Mayor framed the current door-to-door waste collection fee of 70 taka per household as a temporary "investment" from citizens. "Now, they are paying 70 taka for door-to-door, that is your investment. At some point, it will become free," he explained, projecting a future where CCC would earn money by processing and selling waste, eventually sharing those profits with residents.
A Year of Initiatives and Claims
The anniversary program, which featured the screening of a documentary on the mayor's first-year activities, served as a platform to report on key development pledges. Mayor Hossain provided updates on several fronts: Combating Waterlogging: The Mayor claimed significant progress, stating that waterlogging-prone areas have been reduced from 85 to 33, achieving what he termed a "50 percent progress" in relief, Infrastructure and Digital Services: He promised to "gift" 50-60 major roads to the city and launch the "Chittagong apps" in December, which will integrate 10 essential citizen services, Expanding Waste Collection: Citing the success of the new door-to-door project, he reported an increase of over 500 tons in monthly waste collection, bringing the total collected to 2,200 tons of the more than 3,000 tons generated citywide. He issued a stern warning against overcharging, urging citizens to report any collectors demanding more than the official 70 taka rate, Holding Tax Crackdown: Mayor Hossain adopted an uncompromising stance on revenue collection, vowing to reclaim an estimated 200 crore taka in holding tax from the port area. He alleged that previous administrations had significantly reduced this liability.
The event highlighted a collaborative front among various city agencies. CMP Commissioner Hasib Aziz confirmed that long-standing waterlogging issues at the district police line had been permanently resolved. Chattogram WASA MD Monowara Begum was present as a special guest, underscoring the inter-agency cooperation.
CDA Chairman Engineer Md. Nurul Karim praised Mayor Shahadat as a "humble and honest" and "uncompromising" leader, expressing confidence that "a new Chattogram" would be built under his leadership.
Adding a note of caution, DIG Md. Ahsan Habib Palash called for "healthy politics" and urged the development of major public amenities like a large park, botanical garden, and aquarium akin to Dhaka's Ramna Park. "If Chattogram survives, the country will survive," he stated, emphasizing the city's national importance.
With the launch of its primary healthcare system and plans for job creation in tourism and a potential monorail project, the CCC administration has set a broad agenda. The mayor's bold pledge to turn trash into treasure now stands as one of its most ambitious and closely watched goals.
