Dhaka: Those who prepared the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) of 1995-2015 did not even see the area physically.

They did it sitting in their houses through sketching the Google line. For this reason, the DAP is full of many inconsistencies and draw backs.

Even at that time people also raised hue and cry. So, the DAP and structure plan should have to be prepared in an coordinated way obtaining the opinion of the people concerned.

This would be done in an integrated way taking people’s representatives and organizations in consideration to meet the demand of time and considering the strategic necessities.



Housing and Public Works minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain told it in a two-day seminar of RAJUK held in connection with preparing a draft of Dhaka structure plan or strategic plan.

Detailed discussions were held in the seminar on structure plan to be prepared for the next 20 years with the participation of the minister, two mayors of Dhaka city, mayor of Narayanganj and acting mayor of Gazipur and also the realtors of the capital.

The discussants put emphasis on finalization of the proposed plan considering feasibility, objectivity and physical verification after obtaining the opinions of local representatives, mayors of city corporations, stakeholders and the realtors.



It also said that a minimum one year time will be given.

If it is done hurriedly then it would be like faulty previous DAP, which will not be possible to implement, the speakers observed.

Dhaka North mayor Annisul Huq told the seminar that they have experienced people’s movement in 2010 against the previous DAP. “When we went to implement it we found that many establishments had to be removed.”

“So, we must find out the defects of the previous DAP. It should be seriously considered that whether more than 61 percent conservation zone is kept.”

Moreover, the design-plan of garments industries in Savar and Ashulia area has been kept in abeyance. He also proposed to set up a tribunal to recover all the lost rivers.

Dhaka South city corporation mayor Sayeed Khokon said that though RAJUK is supposed to function within the capital but it is also functioning in Gazipur and Narayanganj cities resulting failure of the corporations.



“If we can work in a coordinated way then the city of Dhaka will be habitable. Otherwise, we will have to pay a heavy price for it for decades,” he said.

Gazipur city corporation acting mayor Asadur Rahman Kiron told the seminar that the area of Dhaka structure plan is 1,624 square kilometers which is appreciable.


“I could not go through it detailed in a short time. But primarily it appeared that it contains many defects.”

The previous DAP was prepared sitting in a room without any physical visits. He commented that Gazipur is a new city corporation with an area of 329.53 kilometers having a population of 30 lakhs.

As it is situated near the capital it should be arranged in a beautiful manner and also in a planned way, he added.

Bashundhara Group deputy managing director Engineer Abul Kalam Shamim said that any plan is taken for the welfare of the people. But when that plan is set for implementation then a portion of the population is benefited while another section suffers from it.

“The area which is kept aside for conservation zone is forbidden for 20 years to use. It is discriminatory. This should be solved logically. If any area is declared as conservation zone then the solution must come through giving compensation.”



“Otherwise this declaration will bring sufferings to the people of conservation zone,” he told.

He further said that thousands of prayers were filed with RAJUK regarding the defective parts of the draft plan. No initiative was taken so far to solve it. A huge conservation zone has also been earmarked in the proposed Dhaka structure plan.

“I hope that this plan would be finalized reaching a consensus after threadbare discussion,” he added.

Team Leader of Regional Development Planning (RDP) Jin Ko Cho said in the seminar that there is no alternative to make Dhaka city beautiful like capitals of the developed countries.

RAJUK has started to work in that line to prepare a plan. If Dhaka is built according to the proposed plan then it would be a modern city. He also mentioned to build a planned city at Purbachal of RAJUK.

RAJUK chairman Engineer GM Zainal Abedin Bhuiyan said that they will rectify the defects of DAP. The plan for making welfare of the people cannot be allowed to be a cause of sufferings to the people.



BUET professor Dr Moazzem Hossain said that the communication facilities of the city are inadequate in comparison to other capitals of the world.

If the transportation system is good then it is possible to travel from one end to the other end of the city. For example, a large number of people live in Mirpur because there is easy availability of transports from Mirpur to Gulistan.

“So, if we can arrange buses, then the journey would be comfortable. Importance of mass transports should be given in the Dhaka structure plan,” he added.

According to BUET professor Dr Mehedi Ahmed Ansary, the incidents of earthquakes and fire should be given importance in any planning. The fire incidents occur if there is underground gas line.

If any earthquake of high scale hits Dhaka city then many buildings will collapse. At that time rescue operations will be difficult. For this reason, tremor should be given importance in the proposed structure plan, he added.

RAJUK chief city planner Sirajul Islam presented the ‘Draft Dhaka Structure Plan’.

The representatives of the realtors and developer companies of the capital put forwarded their valuable and logical suggestions. They were assured to consider their suggestions at the time finalization.

BDST: 1738 HRS, SEPT 14, 2015

Edited by Shahjahan
RR