DAP must be implemented to make Dhaka city liveable

Environmentalists demand
The government must go for implementation of Detailed Area Plan (DAP) to make the capital liveable, said noted urban planners and environmentalists yesterday at a discussion.
It is bad that a section of land businessmen is opposing the DAP and mislead the people with misinformation, said Prof Muzaffer Ahmad, president of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa), according to a press release.
Bapa, Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB), Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) and Centre for Urban Study jointly organised the discussion titled ‘DAP: Anti-people or people’s welfare initiative?’ at the capital’s CIRDAP auditorium.
Prof Ahmad said Dhaka has become unliveable due to grabbing of lakes and water bodies and unplanned urbanisation.
The city cannot embrace any further planning-disaster just to serve the interests of a handful, he added.
The speakers demanded eviction of the grabbers of wetlands around the capital city and trial of the land grabbers for audacious behaviour.
The general people, except for a section of greedy land businessmen, think that implementation of DAP is crucial for a planned and liveable capital, said architect Iqbal Habib, also member secretary of Bapa.
A section of ruling party lawmakers is trying to make propaganda against the DAP while the prime minister herself is in favour of DAP, said Mujahidul Islam Selim, general secretary of Communist Party of Bangladesh.
The DAP was prepared and reviewed by the country’s top urban planners and experts to make the capital liveable, said Prof Sarwar Jahan, president of BIP.
The misleading propaganda is unacceptable, he said.
ASM Shahjahan, former adviser to caretaker government, Golam Rabbani, former justice, Mubassher Hussein, president of IAB, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of Bela, Prof AQM Mahbub of Dhaka University, columnist Syed Abul Moksud and Dr Md Abdul Matin, general secretary of Bapa, among others spoke at the discussion.
Prof Ahmad chaired the discussion.

Courtesy of The Daily Star