City Reporter: The proposed budget of Tk 2,145.42 crore has been announced for the 2025-2026 fiscal year of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC). In this budget, the maximum income of Tk 1,92.5 crore has been estimated from the grant sector. In addition, the maximum income of Tk 14,521,000has been estimated from own sources.
Today, Monday (June 23), at 12:10 pm, City Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain announced the budget at the city’s Theater Institute. This is his first budget after taking charge as the mayor of the current (sixth) board of the CCC. However, it is the fifth budget of the sixth board.
At the same time, the mayor also announced the revised budget of Tk 1,221.96 crore for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. The proposed budget for this fiscal year was Tk 1,981.52 crore.
In the budget session, Mayor Dr. Shahadat said, I would like to declare in unequivocal language that despite the limitations of our resources, my relentless efforts will continue for the happiness and comfort of the city residents with the overall cooperation of the people of Chittagong. I hope that the city residents will come forward to help and cooperate with us, provide advice, and fulfill their civic responsibilities in this development effort of ours.
He said, today is my 1st budget session. Although I won the 2021 Chittagong City Corporation election with the votes cast with the heart-wrenching love of the city residents, I was shown to be defeated by the cunning tactics of the then fascist government. In view of which, I came to the honorable court at that time in the hope of justice. After the fall of the illegal Awami fascist government and its allies in the mass uprising of the students and the public on July 24, I have been appointed as the mayor of Chittagong Metropolitan City after receiving justice from the court.
Dr. Shahadat said, I express my hope to reflect the hopes and aspirations of the city dwellers and my firm commitment to establish Chittagong Metropolitan City as an environmentally clean, green, healthy, and safe city, equipped with modern technology and economically prosperous, livable, aesthetic, and tourist city.
Section 6 of the Local Government (City Corporation) Act, 2009, states, ‘The term of the corporation shall be five years from the date of the first meeting held after the formation of the corporation.’ Meanwhile, the first meeting of the current (sixth) council of the City Corporation was held on February 23, 2021. Accordingly, the term of this council is scheduled to end on February 22, 2026. If the term of the mayor is not extended, then the budget announced today will be Dr. Shahadat’s first and last budget.
It is known that the elections for the sixth council of the City Corporation were held on January 27, 2021. There were 19 lakh 38 thousand 706 voters in this election. Only 22.52 percent voted in the election. Dr. Shahadat contested the election as a BNP candidate under the symbol of ‘Sheaf of Rice’. He received 52,489 votes. However, the Election Commission declared Awami League mayoral candidate Md. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury elected by a margin of 339,248 votes. Rezaul Karim took oath on February 11 of the same year and formally assumed office on February 15. In June last year, he announced the budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year of the CHC; which was the fourth budget of the sixth council.
Meanwhile, on February 24, 2021, Dr. Shahadat filed a case with the Election Tribunal, making 9 people defendants. On October 1, 2024, the First Joint District Judge of Chittagong and Judge of the Election Tribunal, Khairul Amin, declared Dr. Shahadat the mayor and gave the verdict in the case. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury’s mayoral election results were canceled. He also instructed the Election Commission Secretary to issue a notification within 10 days. Then on October 8, Dr. The Election Commission issued a revised notification declaring Shahadat Hossain as the mayor. He last took the oath on November 3 of the same year. He formally assumed office on November 5.
The budget session was presided over by the Chief Executive Officer of the City Council, Sheikh Muhammad Touhidul Islam. The Chief Accounting Officer, Md. Humayun Kabir Chowdhury, was present under the chairmanship of the City Council Secretary, Mohammad Ashraful Amin.
