Suman Haldar, a resident of Jamal Khan area of port city, went to the office of ward 21 councillor of Chattogram City Corporation on Sunday to collect his child’s birth certificate, but had to return empty handed as the office was closed.
“This is the third time in last one week that I had to return empty handed from this office as it has remained closed,” said Suman.
Rashedul Islam, who went to the ward 15 office for a certificate to take his brother abroad for treatment, faced a similar situation.
All 41 ward councillors’ offices across the CCC areas have remained closed since August 5, causing much sufferings to service seekers.Â
According to CCC sources, all necessary paperworks including birth certificate, nationality certificate, character certificate, inheritance certificate, succession certificate are issued from the CCC councillors’ offices as those require the signature of councillors of respective wards.
At present, none of these documents can be issued with the offices remaining closed.
Visiting different areas in the port city, this correspondent found the councillors’ offices for wards 15 (Bagmoniram), 16 (Chawkbazar), 17 (West Bakalia), 20 (Dewan Bazar), 21 (Jamal Khan), 25 (Rampur), 32 (Anderkilla) and 33 (Firingi Bazar) closed on Sunday.
According to locals, many of the offices went through looting, vandalism and arson since August 5, and the councillors and other officials have not been working over security concerns.
None could confirm when the offices will reopen and services will resume.
Preferring anonymity, an official of CCC said after the government resigned on August 5, there was a spree of looting and vandalism at almost all the 41 ward councillors’ offices, and necessary documents related to the CCC services were destroyed.
Since then, these offices have remained closed, while the councillors have been hiding due to insecurity and political reasons, and officials and staffers have stopped going to the offices.
“Many necessary documents, which people had submitted to these offices, were burnt in the arson attacks. We are not sure how the loss will be recovered,” said another CCC official wishing anonymity.
Even the CCC mayor is not going to the office, said the officials, adding that it has further deepened the crisis.
“Without the mayor’s consent, all vital decision regarding the city corporation’s activities, including the tender process of important projects, remain pending,” said an official of CCC’s engineering department.
Contacted, Sheikh Mohammad Tauhidul Islam, CCC’s chief executive officer, said the councillors went into hiding for security reasons while the mayor has been absent from the office for same issue.
“I have instructed all the secretaries in the councillors’ offices to join office immediately,” he also said.
“We have already resumed cleaning activities in the city under the supervision of the conservancy department. Hopefully, normalcy will return to other departments from next week,” Tauhidul added
Following the CCC CEO’s instruction, some secretaries joined a few offices yesterday but most of the councillors’ offices remained closed, said sources.
The issuance of documents and other services continued to remain suspended.
