Urban experts and civil society members Saturday expressed dismay over various attempts to destroy Dhaka city by spoiling different plans for planned urbanisation which is now in a mess.
They noted that the demand for a planned city started to erupt from the civil society since 1997 with preparation of Dhaka structure plan. But it was made delayed. During the period between 1997 and 2010, the process to plan for Dhaka city and to make it a failure is interconnected.
Detailed Area Plan (DAP) was finalised two times under pressure from few lawmakers and realtors despite gazette notification. A review committee comprising seven ministers was formed to solve DAP related issues. At least 2800-3000 applications were submitted to the committee for solution.
After gazette notification, then minister Abdul Mannan approved five illegal housing projects being as the head of the DAP review committee. Later, incumbent housing minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain gave approval to six illegal housing projects as the head of the committee destroying Dhaka.
These issues were discussed at a planning dialogue on 'Role of Journalists in Urban Development Planning'. Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) in collaboration with Nagar Unnayan Sangbadik Forum organised the discussion at the BIP auditorium in the city.
BIP general secretary Adil Mohammad Khan moderated the discussion while BIP founder president Prof Golam Rahman and vice president Akter Mahmud were present. Forum president Amitosh Paul, general secretary Motin Abdullah along with other forum members attended the programme.
Daily Star senior correspondent Tawfiq Ali presented the concept note.
He said the same thing has happened in the case of Strategic Transport Plan (STP) of 2008 that happened with DAP and master plan. Even Moghbazar flyover was not in the STP which was incorporated in the revised STP by cutting MRT, BRT and sending them outside the city.
Besides, the government hardly respects any law or entrusts authority to regulate any city development or transport related work like Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA).
Mr Tawfiq further said there is no governing body in Dhaka and an unholy nexus, negotiable politics and corrupt bureaucrats are destroying Dhaka.
Prof Golam Rahman said earlier they could drink the water of the Buriganga River. He suggested turning the unions into urban centres to reduce pressure on Dhaka. Everyone wants decentralisation but the government turns a blind eye to it, he added.
Speakers identified water-logging as one of the major crises for Dhaka. There is a tug-of-war between the city corporations and DWASA over authority for which WASA is not even cleaning the drains during the dry season that the planners and journalists think as a bad omen for the city's water-logging.
Besides, ecological and environmental balance has been damaged around Dhaka city by filling up water bodies, canals, rivers, flood flow zones and destroying forest lands and arable lands.
Speakers called for highlighting urban related issues on priority basis and not publish it after any accident so that damage can be minimized if problems are addressed timely.
Akter Mahmud who chaired the programme said regulated and planned development is expected. There are so many plans in place. But the fact is that most of the plans prepared for Dhaka city were never implemented. "Everyone violates plans."
He suggested following the sequence of various components of a plan and not to surpass any one of those which may blunder a good plan as it happened in STP. He also said if projects are not implemented timely, the project cost will increase and people will be deprived of benefits.
Mr Mahmud also suggested auditing a project after implementation before undertaking the follow-up project to avert mismatch.
