The government has stepped up efforts to upgrade Cox’s Bazar municipality to a city corporation, asking the Local Government Division to submit an urgent progress report on the proposal.
The move follows a commitment made by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman during his visit to Cox’s Bazar on June 13, when he said the government would work to elevate the municipality to city corporation status.
According to a letter issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the Local Government Division has been instructed to take the necessary administrative steps for the proposed upgrade and submit an urgent report outlining progress.
The letter was signed by Md Uzzal Hossain, protocol officer-1 to the Prime Minister and member secretary of the Coordination Cell for the Implementation of Commitments and Priority Programmes.
Earlier, on April 2, Cox’s Bazar-3 lawmaker Lutfur Rahman Kajal sent a demi-official letter to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, urging that the municipality be upgraded to a city corporation. He also raised the issue during the prime minister’s visit to the district.
Established in 1869, Cox’s Bazar municipality is one of the country’s oldest municipal bodies. If approved, the proposed upgrade would come about 157 years after its establishment.
Local people expect that city corporation status would strengthen civic services and accelerate infrastructure development in the country’s premier tourist destination.
Cox’s Bazar Life Report
Cox’s Bazar Life Photo
