Speakers tell book launching
Dhaka can still be a livable city if managed efficiently and if urban plans are implemented accordingly, speakers told a book launching ceremony yesterday.
Dhaka’s biggest challenge is that it lacks a leader — a single authority to deal with the problems of its urbanisation, said one of the speakers, Prof Nazrul Islam, a noted urban researcher.
There are different ways of looking at the world’s ninth populous mega city, said Islam, adding that it may be unlivable for the well-off but it is a great place to live for 40 lakh slum dwellers.
With nearly one crore people in the 165 square kilometres of central Dhaka and 4,000 garments factories and 35 lakh workers in its adjoining periphery, the city remains the centre of the country’s economic activities and productivity, he said.
Prof Nazrul said the book dwells on burning urban issues including waste management, traffic congestion, lake conservation, land price, building rules, mass transportation system, apartment culture, unemployment and lavish shopping malls.
It is a resourceful reference for urban researchers, he said.
Bangladesh Scouts published the book, “Agenda for Urban Concern”, and jointly organised the ceremony with The Daily Star at its Kakrail headquarters.
The book is a compilation of the writings of around 50 architects, planners, engineers, government officials and civil society members published on a monthly cycle in The Daily Star during 2000 and 2005.
Prof Nizamuddin Ahmed of architecture at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) is the book’s lead author and editor.
He said banning environmentally hazardous polythene, converting auto-rickshaws to run on natural gas and city lake demarcation were some achievements of the collective campaign of The Daily Star, Bangladesh Scouts and Buet.
Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of The Daily Star, said planning was fundamental for a city with adequate open green space and a planned city directly relates to economic productivity and provides the seat for civilization.
Dhaka is perhaps the world’s most unmanaged city and whatever plan was there failed thanks to the absence of management, he said adding that utter confusion of authority and responsibility is what rules the urban affairs here.
Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu was present.
-With The Daily Star input
