Dhaka needs an integrated master plan instead of haphazard implementation of multiple plans if the city is to become more liveable, speakers at dialogue on urban development have said.
Urban Development Journalists Forum Bangladesh (UDJFB) organized an “Urban Dialogue” at the National Press Club on Wednesday afternoon.
Addressing the dialogue, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh said: “We can’t tolerate Dhaka remaining on the list of the least liveable cities alongside Karachi or Tripoli.”
Dhaka ranked as the seventh least liveable city in the world this year, moving up three spots from its 2021 ranking, according to an annual report of the Economist Intelligence Unit. While Dhaka improved its position, Karachi, Algiers, and Tripoli moved down.
Courtesy“The ranking will improve gradually as we have taken various initiatives. For example, 70% of the city was prone to waterlogging just a couple of years ago, but it is now down to 30% and water drains in half an hour even after heavy rains,” Taposh said.
“A master plan is being prepared for making the capital liveable in 30 years,” he added.
“For instance, there is no playground in ward no 48 of the city. According to our plan, there will be a playground, a secondary transfer station for managing waste, a kitchen market, and a community centre at all wards,” the DSCC mayor further said.
Town Planner Dr Akter Mahmud, from the department of urban and regional planning at Jahangirnagar University, delivered the keynote presentation at the dialogue.
He said: “To turn Dhaka into a liveable city, controlling the density of population is a must. If the city goes beyond its capacity, nothing can be managed smoothly.”
Anisur Rahman Miah, chairman of Rajuk, said “We need an urban resilience plan to make the city more comfortable.”
Ke Changliang, president of the Chinese Enterprises Association in Bangladesh, said: “The government can form a committee for managing foreign investment for the development of Dhaka.”
The dialogue was presided over by Amitosh Paul, president of UDJFB, and moderated by Shohel Mamun, general secretary of the UDJFB.
Shahadat Hossain, general secretary of Institute of Engineers Bangladesh, Architect Farhana Sharmin, general secretary of Institute of Architects Bangladesh, Fazle Reza Sumon, president of Bangladesh Institute of Planners, Neelima Akhter, executive director of Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority, and Ashraful Islam, project director of Detailed Area Plan (DAP), attended the dialogue, among others.
