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Good governance, implementation of urban planning, political will, equal development of rural areas, mass transportation and sustainable infrastructure development are crucial for sustainable urbanisation and decentralisation, experts said at a Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) seminar on Saturday.
Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury attended as the chief guest, with Kazi Wasi Uddin, Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, and Dr Farhina Ahmed, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, as special guests.
Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury assured that the government is working on equitable development projects across the nation and plans to construct more metro rail systems and elevated expressways over the next 10 to 15 years to ease traffic congestion. He also mentioned the government's commitment to automating land office processes and passing the Land Reform Act in Parliament, which will restrict building infrastructure on lands suitable for cultivation.
Kazi Wasi Uddin, Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, highlighted the government's efforts to create detailed area plans (DAP) that allow space for businesses. He also mentioned discussions with the National Board of Revenue (NBR) regarding tax deductions at source and higher taxes for flat/land/property registrations.
Dr Farhina Ahmed, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, drew attention to the environmental challenges posed by plastic pollution and stressed the importance of addressing air, water, and sound pollution.
DCCI President Barrister Md Sameer Sattar said with the rapid economic development of the country, massive urbanization also needs to happen at a faster pace as 65 per cent of GDP comes from the urban areas, where 35% of GDP comes from Dhaka alone.
He suggested that the government needs to attract long-term commercial investments, especially in cities outside Dhaka. To ease human pressure on the capital city Dhaka, building planned satellite cities and increasing expressways can be a good solution.
Architect Iqbal Habib, Vice President, Bangladesh Environment Movement presented the keynote paper.
He said that in Bangladesh 33% of people are living in cities and its annual growth is about 6%. “If this trend continues, by the year 2051, 55% of the total population will be living only in cities.
Every year about 5 lakh people are added to the population of Dhaka. Due to lack of planned decentralization human pressure on Dhaka is increasing day by day,” he said.
Panel discussant Kazi Golam Nasir, Former Chief Architect of the Department of Architecture, emphasised the importance of preserving arable land and addressing the alarming rate of land loss.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Chief Executive of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), called for reforms and reorganization of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) to better manage Dhaka city.
Mohammad Fazle Reza Sumon, President of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners, identified unplanned urbanisation as a major obstacle to decentralized planning and highlighted the need for effective plan implementation.
Dr Md Shadi Uz Zaman, Managing Director of Notundhora Assets Ltd, also shared insights during the event.
