Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moin Khan has instructed agencies to accelerate implementation of the prime minister’s “Clean City, Green City” vision for Dhaka. Speaking Monday at a review meeting at the Local Government Division conference room in the Secretariat, he urged short-, medium- and long-term environmental plans for the capital and called for greater public awareness of cleanliness through media campaigns.

The meeting reviewed progress on canal boundary demarcation and excavation to address waterlogging, tree planting, beautification, waste removal and replacement of waste bins in Dhaka North and South City Corporations. The minister said waste left on roads during daytime harms the city’s appearance and creates bad odours, and said nighttime waste collection should be seriously considered. He also advised planting perennial flowering plants along roadsides to make Dhaka clean, attractive and environmentally friendly.

Officials said boundary marking of 29 canals in Dhaka North had advanced significantly, while work on canals under Dhaka South was continuing. Beautification and greening work was also ongoing in both corporations. State Minister Mir Shahe Alam praised the efforts, sought faster work, and directed officials to present practical solutions, before-and-after comparisons and future plans for submission to the prime minister.