Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Mayor Shahadat Hossain has called for the prompt organization of local government elections, citing hindrances in development and public services due to the absence of elected officials at the grassroots level. This statement was issued during an interactive session with a visiting delegation from the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) at the CCC premises earlier today, as per an official statement.
The delegation comprised Susanne Giendl, the long-term election observer from the EU mission, and Md Masuk Haider, the mission assistant. Mayor Shahadat highlighted that he currently stands as the sole elected mayor nationwide, assuming office post a judicial ruling related to alleged irregularities in the 2021 CCC election. He emphasized that other city corporations are being managed by administrators due to the lack of elected mayors and council members.
Expressing the challenges faced, Shahadat mentioned that he should ideally have 41 general councilors and 14 reserved women councilors collaborating with him. The absence of these councilors has significantly complicated service delivery in a city as expansive as Chattogram, often necessitating his presence across various parts of the city in a single day.
In advocating for swift elections in Chattogram and other city corporations, Mayor Shahadat underscored the pivotal role local representatives will play in aligning with the development agenda of the BNP government. The EU observer team assured the submission of a detailed final report containing recommendations post the electoral procedures, which will be publicly accessible on the mission’s website, according to the press release.