Ahsan Habib Kamal, former Barisal city and district BNP president, took office as mayor of Barisal City Corporation yesterday with the corporation in a debt of Tk 143 crore.
BNP leader Altaf Mahmud Sikdar, who was the acting mayor, handed over the mayoral duties to Kamal in a special ceremony in the city's Nagor Bhaban.
Kamal, addressing a press briefing after the ceremony, said he took office with a debt of Tk 143.18 crore.
The corporation has to pay Tk 6 crore to its employees as salaries, Tk 17 crore for taking loans from reserve funds, Tk 106.2 crore for development works, Tk 9 crore as electricity bill, Tk 3.98 for miscellaneous items and Tk 1 crore for fuel of vehicles, he said.
The mayor said, among others, sustainability, development of proper drainage and sewerage system, and recovery and excavation of canals and water bodies to end water logging in Barisal would be given preference.