City dwellers stage ‘Aedes larva gift to mayor’ programme

Dhaka:  A group of residents in old Dhaka on Sunday staged ‘Aedes larva gift to mayor’ programme as they claimed Dhaka South City Corporation has failed completely in controlling dengue.

They arranged the programme under the banner of “Outraged old Dhaka residents” in front of the city corporation building at noon.

Towards the end of the programme, an aide of Ward No- 31 councilor Sheikh Mohammad Alamgir snatched the larvae from the hands of the agitating residents. Those who took part in the programme alleged that they left the scene due to threats from councilor Alamgir.

Meanwhile, Alamgir and his assistant took position on the steps of the Nagar Bhaban for hours. He tried to meet with the DSCC mayor. Unable to respond, the councilor left the city building with the larvae.

Earlier, Alauddin, a resident of Bangshal in old Dhaka, spoke at the beginning of the larva gift programme.

He said, “We have come to give the larvae as a gift to the mayor of the Dhaka South City Corporation. I have brought this larva from Kamrangirchar. Dhaka residents are terrified of water logging, mosquitoes and dengue. People are dying every day. They are being admitted to the hospital. We come here today to escape from this. We can’t sleep properly.”

Mizanur Rahman, a resident of Jurain, said, “We are living in such a suffocating condition that we are afraid of coming here (Nagar Bhaban). It looks like that we have come to a war-torn area. I see dirt lying in front of the city building. There is water on the opposite side. This is the situation of DSCC to tackle mosquitoes. How will the mayor answer these questions?”

At that time, an associate of the councilor repeatedly addressed the speaker and said that it was a play by Sayeed Khokon.

Later, the councilor took the glass container of Aedes larvae. He picked up the pot and said, “This has been done to question our service activities. I am the councilor of old Dhaka, there are no dengue patients in old Dhaka as they say. There is no spread of mosquitoes. We are doing our utmost to kill the mosquitoes, the larvae of Aedes.”

At that time a large number of Ansar members took position in front of Nagar Bhaban. Several policemen were also present with them.