United News of Bangladesh

A project to reduce chronic waterlogging, improve roads, and ensure safe drinking water in Sylhet City Corporation has been delayed again, increasing the cost by nearly 44 per cent. Waterlogging remains a serious problem in Sylhet city, causing long-term hardship for residents despite repeated attempts to tackle the issue. Millions of taka have been spent, but results have largely fallen short of expectations. Officials at Sylhet City Corporation said several plans were drawn up after the devastating 2022 floods to protect residents, but implementation has been limited. Read more: COMFLOT West project extended by 2 years; cost nearly doubles The cost of the project titled Alleviation of Waterlogging, Supply of Safe Water and Infrastructure Development of Sylhet City Corporation (Second Revised) has increased mainly due to prolonged implementation delays and an expanded scope of work, according to official documents. It was originally approved at Tk 1,228.02 crore and it has now stood at Tk 1,766.05 crore, reflecting an increase of about Tk 538 crore. The Local Government Division is the sponsoring authority while Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) is implementing the project. According to the Planning Commission documents, the bulk of the revised cost, Tk 1,520.56 crore will come from government funds, with the remaining Tk 245.49 crore to be met from SCC’s own resources. The project was initially scheduled for implementation between January 2020 and December 2023. Its timeline was later extended to December 2024 under the first revision, followed by a further extension to June 2025 without any cost escalation. Under the second revision, the completion deadline has been pushed back again to June 2026, citing the need for additional and more durable works. Officials said the revised scope reflects Sylhet’s vulnerability to heavy rainfall and upstream hill flows, which frequently cause severe waterlogging and damage to roads. Read more: Bangladesh Bank to launch Tk 10,000 crore bond for housing, rail projects To ensure long-term sustainability, the project now places greater emphasis on RCC roads, drains and retaining walls instead of conventional surfacing. Major components of the project include construction of 269.18 kilometres of roads and 363.92 kilometres of drains, along with 6.73 kilometres of retaining walls. The plan also covers 22.75 kilometres of road dividers with tree plantation, slope protection works using CC blocks and RCC retaining walls, and construction of boundary walls stretching 12.71 kilometres. One public toilet and 1.37 kilometres of steel railings along large drains are also included to enhance public safety. To improve urban services, the project include installation of 236.05 kilometres of water pipelines and 263.50 kilometres of electrical works, including an expanded number of streetlights to ensure safer night-time movement in newly extended city areas. Besides, 74 units of essential machinery and vehicles will be procured to support regular excavation and maintenance of 13 major canals and streams flowing through the city. The revision also accounts for increased road repairs including asphalt overlay on roads already showing cracks and potholes, and reconstruction of boundary walls demolished with homeowners’ consent during road widening. Sylhet’s Gowainghat house fire caused by short circuit, police confirm no communal link As of June 2025, the project’s cumulative expenditure stands at Tk 2,186.51 crore, with financial progress at 92.09 per cent and physical progress at 92.50 per cent, according to official records. The Planning Commission, in its recommendation, said successful completion of the project would significantly enhance civic amenities in Sylhet City Corporation by improving roads, drainage, footpaths and the supply of safe drinking water, thereby boosting overall urban resilience in one of the country’s most rain-prone regions.

Residents across Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) are struggling with an unrelenting mosquito infestation, facing bites day and night with little respite even inside their homes. The worsening situation has reignited concerns over a potential spike in dengue cases during the winter months. Despite SCC spending crores of taka every year on mosquito-control programmes, residents say the efforts have produced no visible improvement, prompting serious questions about the effectiveness of the city authority. According to SCC data, Tk 2.26 crore was allocated for mosquito eradication in the fiscal year 2025–26 — the same amount spent in the previous fiscal year. Read more: Naogaon residents battle dengue surge as urban services falter The funds were used to purchase 4,000 litres of larvicide (Temephos 50 EC) and 25,000 litres of adulticide (Malathion 57 EC) from the Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory. Yet residents insist the services remain grossly inadequate. Many complain that fogging machines appear on the streets only occasionally — sometimes just once or twice a year — leaving several neighbourhoods completely untouched.  The organisation does not have a permanent mosquito-control workforce and instead relies on daily wage earners hired seasonally.  While officials maintain that 30–40 workers are deployed regularly, citizens argue that the efforts make little difference. As the mosquito menace intensifies, dengue infections are also creeping up in Sylhet.  Two people have died of dengue this year, and new cases are being reported every day.  Although SCC claims most of the infected patients are from outside the city, anxiety among residents is rising. Young adults hit hard as Bangladesh logs 593 dengue cases, 3 deaths At the Central Shaheed Minar area, college student Sumon Shawon said even standing outdoors in the evening has become unbearable. “We came here for a chat but within minutes the mosquitoes swarmed us. It’s impossible to sit or talk,” he said, calling for urgent larvicide treatment of drains and stagnant water. Read more: Bangladesh sees October as worst month for dengue deaths Apu, a resident of ward No-17, echoed the frustration, saying the situation is fuelling widespread fear. “There’s fever and cold everywhere. We can’t even tell which is dengue and which is normal flu. Mosquito bites are leaving rashes and allergies, causing more illness,” he said. SCC’s Chief Health Officer, Dr Md Zahidul Islam, admitted the crisis in manpower.  He said around 45 mosquito-control workers and seven supervisors are engaged daily, but the number falls far short of requirements. Ideally, each ward should have four to five workers and a supervisor.  With 42 wards under its jurisdiction, SCC would need more than 200 staff — a capacity the organisation cannot afford due to financial constraints. He said although SCC has recommended permanent recruitment since 2021, various complications have stalled progress. Dr Zahidul pointed out that instead of the monthly insecticide treatments recommended for effective control, the city manages to spray only two to three times a year, resulting in minimal, short-lived benefits. Emphasising the role of public awareness, he said complete mosquito control is impossible without active citizen participation. “If people cooperate, even one or two planned operations a year would be enough. Otherwise, the large amount spent on insecticides will simply go to waste,” he warned. As of 4 December this year, Bangladesh has recorded 394 deaths from dengue nationwide.  During the same period, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) registered 96,627 dengue-affected cases. Read more: Barguna battles relentless dengue surge even in winter

At least 2600 law enforcers have been deployed for the Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) election to ensure foolproof security, scheduled for June 21. Besides, 14 judicial magistrates and 42 executive magistrates in 42 wards will perform their duties on election day to take instant action in case of violence, said Sylhet Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Elias Sharif while speaking at a press briefing at Sylhet Metropolitan Police Lines. Movements of vehicles will be suspended on that day. To ensure security on election day, one police inspector, one sub-inspector, and five members of the police will remain at vulnerable polling stations while one inspector, one sub-inspector, four police members, and 14 Ansar members will perform duty at the rest of the polling stations with others. EC to monitor SCC polls through CCTV: CEC Forty-two mobile teams will be deployed in each general ward, 24 striking teams in three general wards each, and six reserve striking teams will be available at each thana. Alongside, RAB team, consisting of 22 members, and one platoon of BGB will be patrolling the wards. The Sylhet police commissioner also urged voters to cast their votes without any fear. SCC polls: 3 held over arms showdown before competitor’s house Eight mayoral candidates, including Awami League-backed Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury and Jatiya Party-backed Nazrul Islam Babu, are vying for the post. Besides, 272 candidates are contesting for 42 general councillor posts, and 87 are contesting for 14 reserved female seats. This year, a total of 4,86,605 voters will exercise their franchise at the polls. There are 190 polling stations and 1,364 polling booths. Besides, 132 centres out of 190 are deemed "vulnerable". The movement of motorbikes remains off the road from June 19 midnight until June 22 midnight. Movement of trucks, minibuses, buses, microbuses, private cars and easy-bikes will remain off from June 20 midnight until June 21 midnight for the Sylhet city election.

Chevron Bangladesh has partnered with Swisscontact and Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) in establishing a skill training institute in Sylhet. Chevron Bangladesh, the US operator of three gas fields—Bibiyana, Moulvibazar and Jalalabad in Sylhet—will set up the training institute, aiming to create a skilled workforce and provide easy access to vocational training for youths of SCC, said a press release. Also read: Chevron continues scholarship support for local students The scheme will be implemented under the Swisscontact Bangladesh’s Uttoron project, funded by Chevron’s Bangladesh Partnership Initiative for which an agreement has been signed among the parties.

Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) mayor Ariful Haque was admitted to a hospital in the city on Saturday.

Former Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) Mayor Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran was laid to eternal rest at Manikpir graveyard in the city on Monday.

The Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) gave its residents and traders seven days to stop the sale and use of polythene bags.