Bangladesh’s unprecedented economic growth was no mere stroke of luck. The government's ceaseless efforts towards development has transformed our humble capital city Dhaka into one of the most bustling cities in the entire sub-continent.
However, that level of transformation has yet to be seen in other parts of our nation, indeed even in cities that are in relative close proximity to the capital itself. As things stand, greater Dhaka generates one-fifth of the country’s GDP and almost half of its formal employment.
To that end, focusing on expanding urban development in cities such as Gazipur and Narayanganj stand to expedite the trajectory of our economy manifold.
Tier-2 cities, as they are called by the World Bank, will need to raise their own revenues to finance infrastructure investments and the provision of services, including affordable housing. This will result in such cities not only experiencing rapid, positive urbanization but also become attractive to formal firms and skilled workers.
Which, ultimately, will help Bangladesh achieve its goals of becoming a more decentralized economy in the long run by gradually easing a lot of the human pressure that is experienced by Dhaka City.
Our current centralization is of course a direct result of the lack of adequate housing, hospitals, market spaces, educational institutes, recreational spaces, farmland, and industries in and around our rural areas; which is why people invariably seek out such services and spaces in the capital, leading to a high number of our overall population to be concentrated in one area.
Developing our Tier-2 cities, then, can be the first concrete step in realizing our goals of decentralization.
As a country, Bangladesh has come a long way in earning its current status as a developing nation. However, to fully achieve that brand we must ensure that our development goals, from here on in, consider a more holistic and equitable approach.