Narayanganj Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Miah. Photo: BSS

By Moshtaq Ahmad

DHAKA, Oct 21, 2025 (BSS) - A plan has been undertaken to transform Narayanganj, once known as the “Dundee of the East,” into a Green City. To achieve this goal, one lakh saplings have already been planted along city roads, at various educational institutions, and around government offices.

Narayanganj Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Miah said this in an interview with Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) at his office today.

He said, “After joining Narayanganj as DC, my first initiative was the ‘Green and Clean City Narayanganj’ programme. Under this initiative, we initially removed a total of 130 truckloads of banners and festoons from the city.” 

“Then, in this, we planted one lakh trees along 176 kilometers of roads, in 310 educational institutions, 42 government offices, and three stadium areas — all within just two months. The plantation campaign is still ongoing,” he said.

He said that one of the major problems in Narayanganj city was waterlogging. “To solve this, canals have been cleaned. The city has a total of 92 kilometers of canals, of which 11 kilometers had completely lost their water flow,” Zahidul Islam added. 

“We have restored and cleaned six kilometers of those canals, where water flow has been restored. Besides, we removed 3,534 truckloads of waste from canals and dumped them at designated sites,” he said.

Speaking about the health sector, he said, “We distributed 4,000 health kits for dengue testing. We have also opened a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) unit, renovated the emergency room, and provided machines like a Complete Blood Count analyzer and portable ECG machines so that all blood reports can be obtained from the hospital.”

“We are trying to make public healthcare a trusted service. Another significant initiative we undertook is the programme titled ‘Not Just Results, Let Humanity Be the Goal of Education’. Under this programme, we have begun efforts in five upazilas of the district to nurture skilled and compassionate students,” he said. 

“Everyone asks why their child did not achieve good grades, but no one asks why their child did not become a good human being. We want to produce not only successful students but also good human beings,” he said.

“We aim to promote the kind of education that teaches us to respect our elders, love the younger ones, and foster patriotism,” said Zahidul Islam.

“Today, I may be highly educated, but if I don’t behave well, if I lack discipline and love for my country, then my education serves no real purpose. That’s why we organized workshops in all five upazilas. After those, we held a district-level workshop, drafted a framework, and sent it to the ministry,” said the DC. 

The ministry approved it and arranged a programme in the district, attended by the ministry’s adviser, two secretaries, the Director General, the Chairman of the Dhaka Board, and a Dhaka University professor, he said. 

Around 550 participants — including education enthusiasts, teachers, and talented students — joined the workshop, he said.

The DC further said that traffic congestion is another major issue in the city. “One road — Mir Jumla Road — had been illegally occupied for 40 years. We reclaimed it, and now buses are running through it. Within nine months of my joining, we recovered government property worth Tk 150 crore,” he said.

He added that drug abuse is a serious social problem. “I believe that to build a drug abuse-free society, we must promote both education and recreation. Schools should be festive places with sports and cultural activities. That’s why I have provided sports materials to every school I’ve visited,” he said.

“Osmani Stadium had no boundary wall or gallery. We have so far secured Tk 1.64 crore in funding for its development, and work will begin soon. We’ve also built a tennis court. We’ve created a replica of the historic ‘Panam City’ and are constructing a modern wash block at the Bangladesh Folk Art and Crafts Foundation Museum in Sonargaon. Moreover, we’re dredging the canal between the museum and Panam City to create a waterway connection and enhance beauty,” he added.

The DC said, “We are conducting drives to make all offices — not just land offices but also passport offices and hospitals — free of brokers. We want to ensure hassle-free service for people through the establishment of a Land Service Center.”

He added, “I am still not satisfied with our land management system. We are yet to reach the expected level of service. We will take strict action against any corruption in this sector.”

“We are facing manpower shortages,” he said. “Next week, a recruitment process will take place. More appointments are in the pipeline, for which we have already sent letters. Once these recruitments are completed, I believe the manpower crisis will ease.”