THOSE accustomed to looking around while moving in Dhaka must have seen the object lately. It is a hanging litter bin -- cute and smart-looking.
These bins have been hung on short stands along the city roads and footpaths. They are found in the southern part of the capital. The tastefully coloured litter bins are quite new to Dhaka. They have been placed by the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).
The name of the mayor is mentioned on the bins' bodies. In the task of keeping the city's roadsides free of trash, these litter bins can normally play a significant role.
These bins are seen in the major cities in developed countries.
As expected, people in these cities do not litter, and never fail to drop small pieces of trash into designated roadside containers.
The residents of Dhaka might require long campaigns and advocacy programmes to get used to proper utilisation of the hanging bins. Except a handful of law-abiding citizens, few are normally found dropping litter into these trash containers.
In a city where people nonchalantly dump piles of domestic waste into public places, the eye-catching litter bins offer a refreshing spectacle. Since their placing in the capital, they have remained mostly unused.
The passers-by appear to bother little about the bins, let alone use them. A few people have apparently shown curiosity, while many have taken the bins to be a part of the city beautification.
The initiative is a laudable step, no doubt. But is the garbage-strewn and proverbially dirty Dhaka fit for these civic arrangements meant for keeping the city clean?
Some may even call the step waste of tax payers' money. An all-out campaign alongside the cleanliness project ought to be in place. It will sensitise the city dwellers to a great extent.
Maqsudur Rahman
Nimtoli, Dhaka
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