The Ninth Urban Dialogue 2026 concluded in Dhaka on Wednesday with the adoption of a 16-point declaration calling for urgent policy implementation and coordinated action to build more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities across Bangladesh.
Organized by the Urban INGO Forum Bangladesh under the theme “Policies to Action: Transforming Cities for People,” the daylong event brought together government officials, urban planners, academics, development partners, civil society representatives, and residents of informal settlements.
The declaration urged the government to immediately operationalize the National Urban Policy 2025, the Spatial Planning Act 2026, and the National Adaptation Plan (2023-2050) to better protect urban populations from climate risks, inadequate housing, and livelihood vulnerabilities.
Key recommendations included recognizing informal settlements as integral parts of cities, ensuring access to water, sanitation, and electricity regardless of land tenure status, developing a National Heat Action Plan, establishing neighborhood-based childcare centers, and formally integrating informal waste and sanitation workers into municipal systems with fair wages, occupational safety, and health protection.
Discussions focused on affordable housing and equitable urban services, urban livelihoods, and climate-resilient development. Participants stressed that informal settlements should be treated as essential components of cities and highlighted the need to create decent work opportunities by bringing informal-sector workers under formal regulatory frameworks.
Speaking at the opening session, Md Saidur Rahman Khan, secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, emphasized integrating disaster management into development planning.
“If we do not integrate disaster management with development programs, achieving overall national development will not be possible,” he said.
While noting Bangladesh’s internationally recognized achievements in disaster management, he said rapid urbanization is creating new challenges that require stronger preparedness and coordination. He said the government has undertaken an initiative to develop nearly 100,000 urban volunteers to address earthquake risks, with around 50,000 already enlisted.
The secretary also stressed coordinated preparedness among the Fire Service, Meteorological Department, and other agencies, alongside designated assembly points, rescue equipment, and public awareness campaigns.
“To ensure long-term resilience, disaster awareness should be integrated into education, local capacities strengthened, and megacities made safer and more climate-resilient through canal restoration, tree plantation, and adaptive urban planning,” he added.
In his keynote address, Dr Adil Muhammad Khan, executive director of the Institute for Planning and Development at Jahangirnagar University, said Bangladesh’s rapid urbanization is outpacing the capacity of municipalities and urban institutions, while infrastructure deficits, weak service delivery, and socioeconomic inequalities continue to undermine sustainable urban growth ahead of the country’s graduation from the Least Developed Country category.
The closing session was attended by Razwanur Rahman, director general of the Department of Disaster Management. Organizers said the declaration would serve as a roadmap for future legislative and policy reforms. The Urban INGO Forum Bangladesh, a platform of more than 20 international development organizations, said implementing its recommendations is critical to ensuring a sustainable, equitable, and climate-resilient future for urban residents.
