We are in the heaven and we experienced the hell. We are living in the best livable city Melbourne now and we lived at one less than the worst livable city at Dhaka for many years. It is not pleasing for us at all. Our heart bleeds and head rolls around in pains and agony thinking of Dhaka. We can feel the pains of Dhaka city dwellers every minute we spare at Melbourne.
Economic Intelligent Unit (EIU) in its annual survey after carrying out extensive research on 140 cities of the world has just published the list of the livable cities. Our present adopted city Melbourne from where I am writing this on the winter morning of our 33rd marriage anniversary as usual has again topped as the best livable city while our original city Dhaka where we own an apartment in Uttara Model town ranks 139th which is one better of the bottom. This means one can say we have feelings of the heaven and the hell. For the readers given below the top as well as bottom listed cities.
Top Ten: Melbourne, Vienna, Vancouver, Toronto, Adelaide, Calgary, Sydney, Helsinki, Perth and Auckland.
Bottom Ten: Abidjan, Tripoli, Doula, Harare, Algiers, Karachi, Lagos, Port Mosbey, Dhaka, Damascus
The indices which EIU usually take into consideration are economic and social stability, health care, education, infrastructure, culture and environment. On the basis of all above Melbourne for the fourth time in succession topped the list. We understand why the war and terrorism inflicted Syrian Capital Damascus ranked bottom. It is not a disgrace for us Bangladeshis that our city Dhaka ranks just above Damascus? Does this not put 160 Billion Bangladeshis into shame? Does it not bother the self-seeking politicians, tall talking intellectuals? 
This writer is fortunate enough to have visited top seven of the ten cities and have lived at Dhaka the best part of the period from late sixties till 2005. In this write up will try to focus why Melbourne is the best and Dhaka is only marginally above the worst?
Melbourne at a Glance:
Currently, 4.25 million people live in the Melbourne metropolitan area, compared with 4.76 million in Sydney. However, the Victorian Government's planning blueprint, Plan Melbourne, indicates the city's population will swell to 7.7 million people over the next four decades. The entire Melbourne metropolitan area covers 7694 sq km The City of Melbourne municipality covers 37.6 sq km and has a residential population of around 100,611. On an average day, around 805,000 people use the city, and Melbourne hosts over a million international visitors each year.
All of these residents, workers, shoppers and travelers can take a break in one of the around 145,000 cafe or restaurant seats, or walk through some of its 471 hectares of parkland. They can visit Melbourne's tallest building, the 300m high Eureka Tower, or its oldest building, the Mitre Tavern, built in 1837.
Dhaka At A Glance:
Dhaka formerly romanized as Dacca is the capital of Bangladesh. Located on the Buriganga River in the heart of the Bengal delta, Dhaka has an estimated population of more than 15 million people, making it the largest city in Bangladesh and one of the largest cities in the world. It is known as the City of Mosques, and with 400,000 cycle-rickshaws running on its streets every day, the city is described as the Rickshaw Capital of the World. Dhaka is also one of the world's most densely populated cities. The Old City of Dhaka became Mughal capital of Bengal in the 17th-century; during that period the city was renamed as Jahangir Nagar after erstwhile Emperor Jahangir. The city flourished as a center of the worldwide muslin trade and attracted merchants from across the world. The modern city developed during the British Raj in the 19th-century and was dominated by the Nawabs of Dhaka. Dhaka served as the capital of short-lived British province of East Bengal and Assam. After the Partition of British India in 1947, Dhaka became the administrative capital of East Pakistan. It became the focal point of nationalist, civil disobedience and pro-democracy movements throughout the 1950s-60s, which culminated in the Liberation of Bangladesh in 1971. 
Dhaka is Bangladesh's seat of government. It plays a central role in the Bangladeshi economy, alongside the port city of Chittagong. The city constitutes the political, cultural and scientific heart of the nation. It is home to acclaimed national landmarks, including the Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban, the University of Dhaka, the Liberation War Museum, the National Museum, the Shaheed Minar and the Lalbagh Fort. In recent decades, Dhaka has been experiencing an influx of people from across the nation, making it one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the world. The city has been attracting greater volumes of foreign investment and trade; and has been witnessing the modernization of transport and communications, with the Dhaka Metro and the Dhaka Elevated Expressway under-construction. However, the city continues to face substantial challenges of congestion, poverty, overpopulation and pollution.
How Dhaka That I Loved Walked Into State of Disarray?
Socio Economic Stability:
In contrast Melbourne undoubtedly ranks the top in matter of socio economic stability. People of over 75 nationalities live here in complete harmony. Everyone perform religious activities without any interference from any quarters. Every community here is observing their social program with freedom. If one likes to observe freedom of expression, freedom of speech and want to see how to stay within the battery limit come and visit Melbourne. In almost 10 years of our stay here and staying in a suburb where there is hardly any Asian even we enjoyed a great community sharing each other’s love and sorrow.
What our Dhaka dwellers experience in contrast? A very uncertain and deteriorating socio economic situation. A city where the Father of the Nation along with most of his family members could be killed by his own people and gets protected by indemnity ordinance , a city where the officially sponsored killers in the broad day light can attack peaceful opposition rally with deadly grenades in attempts of wiping out central leaders of popular opposition , a city where several top ranked army officers can be killed in mutiny , a city where thousand poor RMG workers can die of building collapse and gets burnt to death being trapped in the factory. Ramna Batomul incident , Hefazat avalanche in Bangladesh Bank area and Baitul Mukarram are among many which have tarnished Dhaka images . It can go on and on. What do we really expect Dhaka to be ranked in the matter of Socio Economic stability?
What Can Bangladesh Do?
There must be an all-party census on certain minimum issues for the greater national interest which can improve socio economic situation of Dhaka very soon.
• There must not any political programs which affect social life and normal economic activities.
• There must be some places in the city which will be used only for rallies, processing and registering protest in democratic manner.
• No political party will entertain violence, vandalism, anarchy and terrorism.
• Political parties and social organizations will carry out community cleaning and other activities encouraging their activists in standing beside people in solving citizens’ problems and issues
• Political parties would debate in electronic media in civilized manner on matters of national interest to create public awareness and drumming support.
• There must be abuse or character assassination of national leaders especially who have already expired.
Health Care:
My wife Rozy had an open heart surgery. She had two heart valves changed with two mechanical valves. It was done at Austin Hospital (A Public Hospital run by Victorian Government). We are covered by the best Medicare System of the world requiring only to pay Aus$ 40.00 for the medicines given at release after 7 days. It could cost us at least Aus$ 10000-12000 if we were not Australian. I am not very sure whether we could afford it if my fortune did not drive me here. Our Medicare and Health Care Card allow us free GP service as and when required, free pathology and other tests. Our not too medical insures allows us subsidized dental treatment and hospital attention. It is unique system and we can tell you best in the world.
My school friend Dr Deen Mohammad is a top grade Neurophysician at Dhaka. People have to seek his appointment at least 3-4 months before. I am still approached by my friends and family members for a reference to my friend. This is true for every other specialist doctor at Dhaka whether you go to dentists, eye specialist, Heart Specialist or gynecologist. Dhaka has many private hospitals now. But those Apollo, United or Square Hospitals come nowhere near the private hospitals in Melbourne in terms of quality of Medical Care, ease and comforts of getting treatments. Bangladesh hardly cares as top Government employees, political leaders get treatment from abroad. Singapore, Thailand, India have much better and cheaper hospital facilities than Dhaka not to speak of Melbourne.
What Can Bangladesh Do?
Health care must be made readily available and accessible to all citizens and especially to vulnerable communities.
Medical care system whether in public and private hospitals must be properly monitored and regulated.
Community clinics along with trauma centers can be set up in major city suburbs.
Telememedicins may be gradually introduced and internet services must be applied for hospital booking, appointments of doctors and consultations.
Health cards and Medicare cards may be introduced for unemployed persons, vulnerable people and use should be regulated.
Use of objectionable drugs and unauthorized use alcohols must be strictly controlled.
Medical insurance system for affluent persons may be introduced
To Be Continued.
BDST: 0922 HRS, AUG 22, 2014
