Mayor-elect Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury committed to a greener Sylhet

Ansar Ahmed Ullah
Contributing Editor,Shottobani

London: Sylhet City Corporation’s newly elected Mayor, Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury, said he would develop short-term and long-term goals for making Sylhet a greener, smarter and more developed city.

He was speaking at the Bangladesh High Commission London at an interactive dialogue titled ‘A Smarter and Greener Sylhet: Agenda 2028’ on 29 July 2023. Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury further requested suggestions and cooperation from the British-Bengali diaspora to achieve his goals.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem, in her welcome remarks, highlighted the strong bonds of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with Sylhet since the 1947 historic Sylhet referendum as well as with the British-Bengalis in the UK. The High Commissioner also referred to the various initiatives taken by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to create a smarter and more developed Sylhet by improving road, rail and air connectivity as well as health, education, trade and investment, and the environment.

The High Commissioner also appealed to the British Bengali community from the Sylhet region to email their recommendations to hc@bhclondon.or.uk, which will be complied and forwarded to the Mayor’s Office accordingly.

Mayors and Councillors from different Boroughs of Greater London, business leaders, professionals, community leaders, and social, cultural and media personalities participated in the lively dialogue held at the Mission’s Bangabandhu Lounge. The eminent organiser of Bangladesh Liberation War overseas freedom movement in the UK, Sultan Mahmud Shariff, business leader Bashir Ahmed, Abdul Hai OBE, Camden Mayor Councillor Nazma Rahman, Guildford Mayor Councillor Masuk Miah, Redbridge Mayor Councillor Jyotsna Rahman Islam, Councillor Azizur Rahman, Councillor Saleh Ahmed, and cultural personality Urmee Mazhar spoke on occasion, among others.

Members of the British-Bengali diaspora, along with the Mission’s senior officials, attended the dialogue. They recommended measures to make Sylhet smarter, greener, and more sustainable by 2028.