Kalyanpur slum dwellers in capital sceptical about mayoral promises

A few minutes after mayor aspirant for Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Annisul Huq left Kalyanpur slum, dwellers there scoffed at his promises saying mayors come and go but slum people's condition remains the same. 

"They [candidates] forget us once they get power. We suffer from mosquito bites and I spent all my savings for treatment of my husband's dengue fever. But no one cares about our problems," said Golapi Begum, who has been living at Kalyanpur slum for 30 years.

While campaigning in the area yesterday, the mayoral candidate admitted that mosquito was one of the biggest problems of residents of the city.

"My 220 volunteers did a survey on about 78,000 people and mosquito ranked at thetop of the problems list of residents," he said, adding that if voted to power, he would take short and long-term plans to annihilate mosquitoes.

Arriving at Mirpur Bangla College at around 11:18am with his family, Annisul accompanied by several hundred people marched towards the slum.

Annisul's supporters and the mayoral candidate himself distributed leaflets to pedestrians and commuters.

Responding to a query, Annisul asserted that he would be able to turn Dhaka into green city with Tk 117 crore.

At one point he was welcomed by local lawmaker Aslamul Haque.  At Kalyanpur slum, dwellers there pointed out their problems to the mayor aspirant.

"I am asking you to cast your vote for who you think is credible," he said urging the voters not to pay heed to political affiliation.