Eid waste collection begins in Dhaka

The sky over Dhaka was cloudy on Eid day, but there was no rain. At 2pm, uniformed cleaners from the two city corporations in the capital began the process of removing the waste from animal sacrifices.

The workers were seen in the city’s Malibagh, Moghbazar, Rampura, Shantinagar and Mouchak areas.

They were also washing animal blood and waste from the road in some parts of Malibagh, Rampura, and Moghbazar.

Animal dung, butcher mats, market straw, bones and waste are collected by van rickshaws from small alleys and brought to larger roads. There the waste is picked up by city corporation trucks at the intersections.

Cleaning workers are frustrated that it has not rained yet.

“I thought it would rain,” said Rokeya, a cleaner near Malibagh. “But our luck is bad. Now we have to do a bit more work.”

Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh has vowed to remove waste generated on Eid day within 24 hours, while Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam has vowed to do so within six hours. The city corporations have taken measures accordingly, setting up the necessary equipment, personnel and control rooms for waste disposal.

Nasser Hossain, public relations officer of the DSCC and Maqbul Hossain, public relations officer of the DNCC, said the waste removal activities began in full swing in each ward after 2pm.

DNCC Mayor Atiq launched the waste removal programme from the Paris Road area of Mirpur at 2pm.

Cleaning worker Kabir said he and nine others are collecting the daily garbage along with the sacrificial waste and bringing it to the Malibagh junction by van rickshaw from Gulbagh and Shantibagh. From there, the garbage is picked up by city corporation vehicles.