In anticipation of the mayoral elections to be held on April 28, the Dhaka Tribune has teamed up with ATN News to host two televised mayoral debates among candidates – one for Dhaka South and one for Dhaka North.
Anisul Huq, Tabith Awal, Zonayed Saki, and Mahi B Chowdhury have been invited to participate in the debate for Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), while Sayeed 
Khokon, Mohammad Saifuddin Ahmed Milon, and Golam Mawla Roni will be participating in the debate for Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC). The debates will be moderated by Munni Saha, Head of News at ATN News.
“We live in Dhaka. But we never think about our city. It is our responsibility to question our mayors about our concerns,” Munni said.
It is to address these concerns – for which the successful mayors will eventually be responsible – that the Dhaka Tribune will be hosting the debate in collaboration with ATN News, with research support by IID.
The debate has been designed to encourage participation by Dhaka’s citizens. At the debate, the mayoral candidates will debate each other over citizens’ most pressing issues, as raised through a platform on social media.
Traffic, waste management, drainage and waterlogging, and safety for women are among the top choices for discussion, according to votes cast by social media users on the Facebook poll.
Zafar Sobhan, Editor of the Dhaka Tribune, said recently in an article: “With this debate, we hope that we not only will provide a needed service for the voters … but that we can kick-start a culture of televised debates in which future candidates will have no option but to face off against one another and will have to make their case to the public in order to be elected.”
The debates of DSCC and DNCC will be aired on April 21 and April 23, respectively, after the 9pm news on ATN News.
