How school zones should be set up in the capital, what about playgrounds and public space, or urban mobility, environment, safety, and security?
These are some of the questions and dreams and ideas of children in Dhaka city, to be executed in the revised detailed area plan (DAP) by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk).
Dhaka’s problems and city plans through the eyes of children were addressed in a program titled “Dialogue between Rajuk and children to address their perspective in the revised DAP” at the Rajuk office in Motijheel on Saturday.
Problems faced by children
Children from 10 schools across the city were present along Save the Children to address the problems they face in the capital.
Children mentioned that they suffer from unhealthy environment, noise pollution, contaminated smoke from factories, and foul smell from garbage littered beside footpaths in their school zones, causing health risks.
Further, having no zebra crossing in front of schools, waterlogging due to improper drainage, vehicle crisis, hoarding of women and children seats in public transport by male passengers, being trapped in traffic jams, are some of the problems they face as a whole.
With footpaths occupied by hawkers, pedestrains are forced to walk on roads making them accident prone. The height of the footpaths too cause a hindrance because of the height.
The key problem is having no playground facilities for outdoor games, and the playgrounds available in the city are sans lighting at night and first-aid facilities.
Children from different schools of Dhaka city participate in the program Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune
Mentioning the green Dhaka they said that there are areas in Dhaka named Amtoli (under mango tree), Neemtoli (under Neem tree), but where are the mango and neem trees in Dhaka, they asked.
Places named Gulshan, Niketon, Nikunjo, and Banani – but where are these forests, they queried.
Children’s demands for the revised DAP
Addressing their problem to Rajuk, the children of Dhaka demanded solutions.
Some of their demands include:
- Schools within 10 minutes distance from their homes in the revised DAP
- Law to be executed to make public space safe for children
- Smoking-free city
- At least one tree in every house in DAP and a colorful city with numerous trees.
- Ban on polythene bags
- Factories, brick kilns to relocated outside the city
- Footpaths a little higher than road level
- -Schools cannot operate in a congested building and must have plenty open space
- Maps should be placed beside roads to give directions
No more school without facilities
Md Abdur Rahman, Chairman of Rajuk told the children that he wants schools to be relocated from a “confined” building.
“I want to relocate schools to somewhere with open space. Schools having no proper environment and no open space, cannot remain in Dhaka. They need not run anymore,” he said.
Criticizing the Bashundhara residential project, he said that residents of that area have to travel a long way to find a pharmacy.
Rajuk formed a committee in 2015 to prepare a 20-year plan for Dhaka called “Preparation of DAP (2016-2035) for Dhaka” also known as revised DAP. This revised DAP is likely to be fully prepared this year.
