Architects and city planners on Wednesday underscored the need for public engagement and increasing the institutional capacity of RAJUK and city corporations to implement the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) amply.
The experts also laid emphasis on firm political will and ensuring good governance in institutions as well as cooperation from realtors and developers to succeed in the plan for the sake of building a liveable city.
They came up with the observations at a dialogue titled, "Detailed Area Plan for making Dhaka Liveable" organised by the Institute for Planning and Development (IPD) in the capital.
Centre for Housing and Building Research Executive Director Mohammad Abu Sadeque expressed concerns about the DAP implementation due to the unabated corruption being practised in Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) and city corporations.
“Considering our current social management and socio-economic condition, the DAP is okay. As it has been prepared without any proper research, there is a lack of adequate data. However, the DAP will not be implemented without public engagement and strong political will as well. Besides, society and community-based awareness must be created to implement it,” he said.
Sadeque said on the one hand RAJUK is a regulatory body, but on the other hand it builds buildings, which is not a positive thing at all.
He added that the land developers created obstacles to implementing the DAP 2010. “All should be aware so that no one can constitute a hindrance to implement the new DAP.”
On August 24, the government published a gazette notification on the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) 2016–2035 for Dhaka metropolitan region and thus it has already come into effect. The DAP covers 1,528 square kilometres of areas, including Gazipur and Savar.
Presiding over the programme, IPD Executive Director Adil Mohammed Khan urged the authorities concerned to establish a “Bhumi Bank” to ease land acquisition, and impose “environment pollution fee” on the polluters.
He also urged the government to ensure the rule of law to implement the DAP.
Bangladesh Institute of Planners President Fazle Reza Sumon said, “While implementing the new DAP, it should be cleared what type of punishment will be served if someone violates the DAP rules.”
He claimed that around 90 per cent of 22 lakh buildings are unapproved in Dhaka. “So, monitoring should be strengthened.”
Speaking at the event, DAP Project Director Md Ashraful Islam wanted cooperation from all stakeholders to implement the DAP.
“Relators will be benefited more now if DAP is implemented. We have prepared the DAP considering our future generation. We do not put restrictions on building high-rises in the DAP area, but set conditions on floor area ratio (FAR),” he explained.
The DAP project director said they are also providing incentives for the sake of middle-class people. “We will hand over one lakh affordable apartments by 2035 and the price will be below Tk 30 lakh per flat,” he informed.
Ashraful also said they will review the DAP if it is needed to serve the public interest, not for any individual interest.
Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Planning Department at Jahangirnagar University Farhadur Reza and architect Abu Taher, among others, also spoke there.
