The government has launched a renewed drive to improve urban cleanliness and environmental conditions as part of its broader vision to transform Bangladesh into a cleaner and more liveable country, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam said on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters after inspecting an ongoing waste removal, environmental cleanup and tree plantation programme along both sides of the Dhaka-Aricha Highway at Aminbazar in Savar, the state minister said the initiative reflects the government's commitment to improving public health, urban aesthetics and environmental sustainability.

He said a 1.2-kilometre stretch of the highway between Aminbazar and Hemayetpur had long been plagued by accumulated waste, foul odours and poor maintenance. After the issue came to the attention of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, authorities launched a coordinated cleanup operation involving the Dhaka district administration. The programme also includes planting Neem saplings along both sides of the highway to help create a greener roadside environment.

According to the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), the state minister said the long-neglected highway section is expected to become free of foul odours for the first time in nearly two decades once the ongoing cleanup work is completed. He also said repair work on roads damaged by recent heavy rainfall would begin immediately after floodwaters recede.

Mir Shahe Alam called on citizens to play an active role in protecting the environment by avoiding indiscriminate dumping of waste, stressing that maintaining a clean and healthy Bangladesh requires both government action and public participation.

Dhaka Deputy Commissioner Farida Khanom said the district administration is giving top priority to implementing the prime minister's initiative to build a cleaner and greener capital through coordinated environmental management and beautification efforts.

Officials accompanying the inspection included Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Md Abdur Rafiul Alam, Savar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Saiful Islam, Keraniganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Omar Faruk, Assistant Commissioner (Nazarat Branch) Md Adnan Zulfikar, LGED Engineer of Savar Upazila Md Minarul Islam and other concerned government officials.

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