Building planned cities is achievable, but it requires a sense of patriotism from the people, said RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, the housing and public works minister.
“We are expanding cities, damaging nature, and destroying water bodies and green spaces. We must abandon these practices,” he said at a seminar titled “Making Cities Sustainable: Challenges and Imperatives for Bangladesh,” held at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) auditorium on Thursday (27 June).
While everyone advocates for planned cities, achieving this goal necessitates adherence to existing laws, he said.
BIISS’s Research Director Segufta Hossain, said that Dhaka has transformed from a peaceful small settlement into a megacity and economic hub, ranking 4th among the most densely populated cities globally.
She highlighted the rapid and irregular urban growth, both outward and upward.
“Dhaka Division comprises 26.88% of the country’s total population, and Dhaka city has the highest urban population. By 2030, Dhaka’s population is projected to rise to 27.3 million,” said Segufta.
She identified four major impediments to Dhaka becoming a sustainable city: environmental concerns, infrastructure and services, social insecurities, and human-induced hazards.
Chairman of the Centre for Urban Studies, Professor Emeritus Nazrul Islam, remarked that Dhaka is among the top 10 megacities globally in terms of population.
“Managing the population in Dhaka has become challenging, and effective management is now a critical issue,” said Nazrul.
He called for the adoption of a National Urban Policy to address urban problems.
World Bank’s Urban Development Specialist, Ishita Alam Abonee, argued that restricting migration to the largest cities is counterproductive.
Highlighting Dhaka’s poor condition, Khandaker Shabbir Ahmed, professor of architecture at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), said that a city should have at least 25% greenery and 12% water bodies. However, Dhaka has less than 3% greenery and less than 2% water bodies.
He stressed that Bangladesh must consider the entire country when planning urbanisation.
“To develop Dhaka, we must develop the whole country,” said Professor Ahmed.
