Political impasse stalls Comilla city hall construction project
Photo Collected
A proposed 1.25 billion taka project to construct a modern administrative headquarters for the Cumilla City Corporation has stalled, triggering a public standoff between local political leadership and the city administration. The impasse, centered on the location of the new facility, has prompted an intervention from the Local Government Division, which held a public hearing on Tuesday to resolve the dispute.
The conflict pits the city’s current administration, which seeks to rebuild on the historical site where the municipality was established in 1864, against the area’s Member of Parliament, Monirul Haque Chowdhury, who has advocated for relocating the complex to the city’s southern district. Acting on an official letter from the MP, the Local Government Division ordered a temporary suspension of the project’s tender process on June 4, halting plans for a 15-story facility that had been initiated only weeks earlier.
বিজ্ঞাপন
During the hearing at the Cumilla City Corporation’s conference hall, observers, civil society representatives, and local residents overwhelmingly backed the administration’s proposal to remain at the current site. Proponents cited the historical significance, established infrastructure, and central accessibility of the location as primary factors, noting that the site has served as the hub of civic services for over 150 years.
City Administrator Md. Yusuf Molla emphasized that the existing site is the most viable option given its geographical and commercial centrality. He expressed optimism that the Local Government Division’s representative, Deputy Secretary Md. Rabiul Islam, gained a clear understanding of the public consensus during the session.
বিজ্ঞাপন
In contrast, MP Monirul Haque Chowdhury has sharply criticized the administration’s handling of the process, alleging that supporters of the southern location were silenced during the hearing. He argues that the project should not be prioritized by an unelected temporary administration, suggesting that the decision should be deferred to a future elected mayor and council. Furthermore, the MP maintains that the city’s planned expansion—which aims to increase its area from roughly 53 square kilometers to 285 square kilometers—necessitates a more strategic, peripheral location to better serve an enlarged jurisdiction.
As the stalemate continues, the Local Government Division has begun a formal assessment, with officials inspecting both the current site and the MP’s proposed location in the Chhoto Dharmapur area. For now, the future of the 15-story complex remains in legislative limbo, leaving the city’s long-term infrastructure goals dependent on the outcome of the ministry’s pending review.
0%
0%
0%
0%
