Good news is that the government has taken a “Palli Jonopod” project aiming at developing model villages. But, simultaneously bad news is that Dhaka has once again been ranked as the second least liveable city in the world.

London-based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released the Global Liveability Index (GLI) of world's 140 cities. It showed that only war-ravaged Damascus in Syria lags behind Dhaka.

According to the EIU, the index is prepared based on the scores across a range of criteria, including healthcare, culture, environment, education and infrastructure of the world’s leading cities.

Unfortunately though, Dhaka understand well that Bangladesh capital has been achieving the infamous feather for last few years due to realistic reasons. It’s not a surprise for them at all as the quality of life and urban governance in Dhaka have been worsening day by day.

Even the city, divided into two corporations in excuse of better civic services, does not have any elected representative for several years.

Traffic jam is a regular problem for the city dwellers. One will find very little greenery while wet lands are being encroached every day. People have very limited options of entertainment. The healthcare facilities are far below the standard. Doubts are also there about standard of education.

Projects are going on__ being planned and being implemented__ one after another for development of Dhaka, but people feel very little change.

We do not know when the city will be really a liveable one as the government and their all time oppositions have other priorities.
However, one news item came in as an occasion to cheer.

The government took a pilot project, apparently an ambitious one, to set up new model villages with some urban facilities to prevent loss of agriculture land.

Under the Tk 424 crore “Palli Jonopod” project, four-storey buildings would be constructed at each of planned seven villages to accommodate the families living there.

According to the project, passed by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), 272 flats in four categories would be constructed in seven villages.

Each family will pay 30 percent of the construction cost as down payment while the rest 70 percent in installments in 15 years in addition to another 5 percent simple interest on the amount.

Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal informed that they have a plan to expand the project across the country if the pilot one is successful.

Our past experiences however show that many such social projects taken in the past did not see success due to corruption, irregularities, mismanagement and politicization.

Hope this “Palli Jonopod” project that came in as a good news will not become a bad news in future, being prey to corrupt bureaucracy and vicious political circle.

BDST: 1136 HRS, AUG 20,2014