"I need good relations with the government whichever party might be in power--Awami League or BNP," he said in an exclusive interview with The Daily Star at his Chashma Hill residence yesterday.

Mohiuddin, elected for a third term in office as a candidate of main opposition Awami League-backed Nagorik committee, asked the government not to worry about his demand for a city government.

"The government will only approve and declare the city government, I shall do the rest," he said.

"I have the capacity to build a city without government money," said Mohiuddin, who got the mandate of the inhabitants of the port city on Monday.

The mayor noted there is no reason for the city dwellers to suffer from water crisis. "If the operating authorities of power and water supplies are handed over to me, people would get relief from acute electricity and water crises very soon."

According to him, the main problem in city development is the lack of co-ordination among different government bodies. City government is the only solution to this problem, he pointed out.

"The government would not have to spend money on the development of Chittagong because it has a lot of resources. The only need is to use those resources properly."

He said if the government does not have reservations about the idea of a city government, he will arrange the money and technical know-how necessary for the development of the city.

Asked how, the mayor gave an example.

"If I am given the charge of the project director of a hanging bridge over the river Karnaphuli, I would implement the project on a build-operate-transfer basis within two years after which the government would own the bridge."

In this case, the government would not have to spend Tk 2 lakh a month in salary for the project director, he pointed out.

He referred to the steps he had previously taken to increase the earnings of Chittagong City Corporation. "Earlier, the earnings of the corporation were very insignificant, but now the earnings have increased so much so that we can give loans to banks."

Asked what was the secret of his overwhelming victory this time, Mohiuddin told this correspondent to ask three sections of people in society -- affluent, middle class and lower class. "Even the government officials in Chittagong were happy with my victory," the over-60-year-old veteran politician claimed.

People continued to throng his residence and garland him yesterday on his resounding victory in Monday's election. Mohiuddin spent the day speaking to them and distributing sweets. People of all faith, age and gender crammed the narrow lane in front of his residence to congratulate the city father.

Mohiuddin described to The Daily Star various development projects he has implemented during last one decade. He mentioned setting up of one new undergraduate college, eight colleges, 41 high schools and 410 Forkania madrasas in the city in last 10 years.

On his programmes for development of Chittagong, Mohiuddin said the 40-point charter of programme presented before the people during the election campaign would be implemented on a priority basis.

"My first priority is to resolve the acute crisis of water and power that the city dwellers have been facing for long."

He regretted the government not properly using the huge resources of Chittagong. "The whole would benefit if Chittagong were developed properly."

Mohiuddin believes that his main rival and ruling coalition-backed candidate Mir Mohammad Nasir Uddin would not have polled more than 25,000 votes had the government machinery not operated for him.