Services of Barishal City Corporation have been severely disrupted as the city mayor and most ward councillors have been absent following the ouster of the Awami League-led government on August 5.
Of the 40 ward councillors under BCC, only eight have remained connected to their respective ward offices. All eight of them are BNP-backed.
Almost all services of the city corporation and ward councillors’ offices, including issuance of different certificates and other important documents, are on hold, causing much sufferings to the residents.
BCC sources said the situation deteriorated after miscreants looted goods and equipment from BCC’s annex building and set it on fire on August 5.
Gazi Naimul Hossain Litu, councillor of ward 19 and former panel mayor, was burnt to death by miscreants on the same day.
Since then, BCC mayor Abul Khair Abdullah, and 31 ward councillors, have been on the run over security concerns as all of them are AL-affiliated.
Visiting different wards across the city, this correspondent observed that several ward councillors’ offices were vandalised and looted since August 5, including those of wards 20 and 22. The residence of Munna Howladar, councillor of ward 2, was also attacked and looted.
“I went to the councillor’s office every day for the past one week to collect a birth certificate but to no avail. The office remains closed as pro-AL councillor Munna fled since August 5,” said Suvankar Chakraborty, a resident of ward 2.
A resident of ward 20 shared a similar plight.
Israel Hossain, chief executive officer of BCC, said they are trying to come up with alternative methods to resolve the issue.
Meanwhile, on August 14, the interim government decided to give CEOs full administrative and financial authority to run city corporations where mayors and panel mayors are absent.
The decision was yet to be implemented in Barishal.
