Living in Heaven and Hell (Concluding Part)

It does not matter whether we live in Melbourne, Venice, or Vancouver. Dhaka is our own city, Bangladesh is our own country. As any good news about Dhaka fills our heart with joy any bad news hurts us badly. We cannot accept our city of pride which has such a rich culture, such a colorful history will continue to be rated as one of the worst livable cities of the world.

Over the last week I tried to discuss Melbourne and Dhaka side by side just to show the wide difference. But none of the Bangladeshis where we live now can deny our responsibility for doing or suggesting measures that can improve Dhaka gradually in getting back its glory and pride as one of the loveliest cities of the world. This concluding part will be an attempt to identify the major issues and challenges.

Huge Population:

Over 15 million people living in small Dhaka city is the main issue and major challenge to contain for the government. At least 80% of this population migrated to Dhaka from outside Dhaka for earning their bread and making a living of it. We observe during two Eid Festivals when this section of the population leaves Dhaka to observe the festival with their kin Dhaka becomes a quiet and clean city for some time. Dhaka can no longer bear the burden of the huge population. All issues and challenges arises from arranging job, shelter, food, education, medical care, utility services, communication facilities , security , recreation facilities of this huge population.

If we dream to change Dhaka the first and foremost plan has to be drawn to create facilities and attractions for living outside Dhaka all over the country especially in the districts immediately adjacent to Dhaka city. We know it is not an easy task and it requires comprehensive planning and very strong implementation management. First we have to find out why people come to live at Dhaka? Why people still prefer living in Dhaka though Dhaka city becomes immobile for most part of the working day due to massive traffic congestions. Why people still prefer Dhaka despite many utility services have become unsteady and uncertain. The only reason is better job and work opportunity, better education and medical care facilities, only opportunity of meeting and informing grievances to policy and decision makers. People of many areas lose their everything from river erosions, cyclone, tidal bores and other natural calamities. They have no alternatives but to come and take shelter in slum areas and try their luck in various income earning. Sometimes many of this section are exploited by vested quarter through pushing them into drug dealing, prostitutions, burglaries and other social vices. So the single most important aspect of uncontrollable migration to Dhaka is economic reason.

If anyone carries out a survey on the people who have migrated to Dhaka since 1971 one will definitely find that people from affluent districts like greater Sylhet and Greater Chittagong have lesser people in Dhaka while the greater numbers have come from North Bengal and Southern districts.

Another main reason of huge migration is mushrooming of RMG factories in the heart of the Dhaka City and suburban areas. If there is a survey one will find at least 15-20% of the Dhaka population is directly or indirectly dependent on Ready Made Garments related works and rickshaw pulling. If government addresses these two areas about 10-15% of Dhaka population can be taken out of the city in three to five years. Can one imagine how this will impact upon all other areas?

Recommendations:

Government must plan self-contained RMG villages in four Corners of Dhaka City away from city Centre or city gate areas. We know that during the last China visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a MOU has been signed between Bangladeshi and Chinese counterparts for a RMG village at Gazaria. Similar RMG villages can be set up on the other side of under implementation Padma River Bridge, Manikganj, Tangail areas and take out all RMG factories from Dhaka city and suburban areas in 8-10 years.

Rickshaws and three wheelers are essential nuisance in Dhaka City. If we want to regenerate mobility in Dhaka city we have to plan phasing out rickshaws and three wheelers, human haulers from Dhaka city main roads. We know human rights activists and union leaders will oppose strongly. Rickshaw pullers and three wheel drivers in group by group cannot trained to develop other skills and many of them can be trained as cleaners, automobile mechanics, electricians, plumbers and sent abroad for wage earning.

Decentralization of Government:

Bangabandhu started it after independence. All senior government officers, starting from deputy secretary level, had to spend few days every month in his native district and report on the ongoing development activities in their area. Bangabandhu rightly envisioned District Governors and selected many bureaucrats for the position. Unfortunately vested quarter misinterpreted his BAKSHAL concept of social and economic agenda. Post 1975 governments in 39 years have more centralized the governance in Dhaka and more specifically within the bounds of secretariat. In this age of technology, e–governance why all government ministries has to be located in Dhaka? Why some ministries and headquarters of many government offices cannot be moved out of Dhaka? For example why Ministry of Jute, Textile cannot be moved to Narayanganj? Why Railway Communication Ministry cannot be located at Gazipur? Why Ministry of Education cannot operate from Comilla, Why Ministry of Forest and Environment cannot be located at Khulna, Why Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources cannot be based at Brahmanbaria? Why Ministry of Port and Shipping cannot be operated from Chittagong? Why agriculture ministry cannot be at Mysmensingh?

Leaving Ministry of Finance & Planning, Ministry of Home, Defence all other ministries can be moved out of Dhaka. All kind of meetings and coordination in this digital age can be done through video conferencing and other means Skype, Internet etc. Moving Ministries and related divisions outside Dhaka will take out huge attention out of Dhaka and administration will go nearer to the people. If one visits secretariat any of the working days one may find the sufferings of the people coming from far flung areas. Why Prime Minster cannot restart seating in Uttara Ganobhavan once in every three months and conduct cabinet meeting there? Another Such facility can be created at Bhola.

Recommendation: Decentralize the operation of Secretariat through relocation of Government offices to different districts and introduce video conferencing for coordination of affairs.

Relocate Installations:

Economy stagnating gridlocks in Dhaka is getting bad to worse every day. It is creating adverse socio economic impacts on the society. We can identify several reasons other than what we discussed above. Dhaka City Corporations and Rajuk have not only failed to act as responsible city guardians but also have become dens of corruptions and mismanagement. There is no city governance; no single authority is responsible for coordinating the many service providers in the Dhaka City. Free for all situation continues creating mess and nuisance in the city in digging, re-digging, and excavations of city roads throughout the year. Dhaka has much less than bare minimum roads in the context of huge mechanized and non-mechanized vehicles. Unplanned and uncoordinated works of utility services for Gas, Water, Telephone make situation still worse adding to the woos of traffic congestions. Pedestrians cannot walk on the pavements and footpaths as these are occupied by hawkers. Sometimes snatchers and muggers rob pedestrians taking advantage of the messy situation. We have identified few choke points of Dhaka city which creates traffic congestions. These are Dhaka Central Jail, Secretariat, BGB Headquarter, Army HQ, DU, BUET, DMCH campus and Residential Halls Educational Institutions, Clinics and Business offices at Dhanmondi, Gulshan and Banani areas, Kawran Bazar fish and Vegetable market, Prime Minster’s Office.
All those listed above must be relocated in phases to alternate suitable area if we like to really solve grid locks from Dhaka city.

•    Vacated Area of Dhaka Central Jail can accommodate the rehabilitated families and businesses which may require to be removed of many of the old Dhaka narrow roads, lanes and by lanes are to be widened.

•    Vacated Pilkhana area can accommodate educational institutions, clinics and business offices from Dhanmondi. Jigatola, Lalmatia, Kalabagan, Azimpur areas.
•    The space and buildings of Secretariat can be used as residence of medium to senior level government officials.
•    Present location of Old Airport can be used to relocate educational institutions, clinics and business offices to ease congestions of Gulshan and Banani areas.
•    Relocation of PM Office to her residence will remove chronic traffic congestions in the area.
•    Retaining token presence of DU, BUET in the present location major academic activities can be reorganized in off city campuses.
•    Relocating Kawran Bazaar Fish and Vegetable Market and setting up a multistoried parking area will remove terrible mess from parking of vehicles in the area

River, Canal Recovery and City Beautification:

Dhaka is blessed having four rivers surrounding it. Most of the major cities of the world have very economically utilized its location on the bank of the rivers. Few cities have even created artificial rivers. Nothing can work to bring life back to Dhaka city languishing in ICU if four rivers and all the city canals can be recovered and regenerated. These will pave the way for developing City Circular Road, Waterway, Ring Gas Transmission Pipeline. Regenerated river waters can be used after treatment for community use. If Canals can be recovered not only water logging problem can be mitigated but also the city can get back its Tilottoma Attraction. Look at one Hatirjheel. Imagine if we have dozen of these at Dhaka.

Drug - Alcohol Abuse, Food Adulterations:

Drug and alcohol abuses have grown to menacing proportion. Especially it is affecting the young generation. Government must have zero tolerance for it. Parents, teachers and guardians must remain alert and vigilant. Food adulterations, adding harmful chemicals in fruit, fishes and vegetables must also be dealt with strong hands.

Ongoing Infrastructure Development Works:

Government has already completed works of some flyovers and has started constructing a few more. Works of metro rail is to start soon. But there are also complaints that DAP is not being followed and all the infrastructure development works are being impeded for lack of coordination among different agencies. We hope all concerned will work hands in hand to assist completion of existing and future projects on time.

Waste and Garbage Disposal:

Waste and garbage disposal appears to be a huge problem in Dhaka. Industrial and municipal wastes have positioned all rivers and waterways of Dhaka. Governments’ instruction of setting up ETPs is not strictly obliged. City dwellers and industry owners must be made more conscious by media and NGOs. Modern cities have excellent domestic wastes and garbage disposal system. Here in Melbourne every unit of house has three different color coded waste bins. One for kitchen wastes, one for all recycles and one for garden wastes. Every suburb has been assigned a specific date when the citizen leave the bins beside the road in front of the house for community trucks and covered vans to collect these.

Most of the modern cities also have Waste water recycling facilities. Advanced water treatment (Reverse Osmosis) process turn recycled water as good municipal water for use. Many cities use solid municipal waste to generate electricity. We hope WASA and Dhaka Municipal Corporation with assistance of department of environment can implement the most appropriate means of waste and garbage disposal and treatment for Dhaka.

Recovery of Parks and Play Grounds:

Unplanned city developments have taken over many parks, open spaces and play grounds. Younger generation find no space for sporting activities. In recent times we have seen community had to agitate to save Dhanmondi playground from illegal constructions. Efforts must be made to recover well recognized and identified play grounds and parks evicting unauthorized occupants. Dhaka needs more greens to breathe freely. All schools and educational institutions may be given strong instructions for ensuring spacious play grounds for their students.

Regulate Educations in Private Institutions:

A certain section of society has made education a commodity. Hundreds of private institutions have mushroomed in the city bringing quality of education to ordinary level. Desperate Guardians have to pay huge fees and still send their wards to private tutors. Students are overburdened and find hardly any time for play and recreations. Government must regulate and monitor the education standard through setting standard curriculum and random checking of teaching, regulating coaching center business.

Conclusion

We who are fortunate of living in modern cities now have full sympathy and genuine feeling for Dhaka and sincere efforts of all citizens living in Dhaka with turn Dhaka , the " Tillotoma City" again. Nothing will please us more if we find Dhaka progressively climbs in the list as one of the most livable city of the world which it actually was and has all opportunity for that.