Photo : Collected
The number of urban dwellers in the country is increasing at such an unusual rate that currently over 50 million people are living in cities. According to a report, 33 percent of the country’s population, or one-third of the total population, now resides in urban areas. During a day-long conference titled "Urbanisation in Bangladesh and Urban Environment," organised at Shilpakala Academy in the capital on Saturday to mark the 52nd anniversary of the Urban Research Centre, prominent figures expressed concern.
They highlighted that due to the lack of civic facilities outside the major cities, people from all regions of the country are migrating to urban areas. As a result, service agencies are struggling to provide essential services to citizens. The experts emphasised that rapid decentralisation is the only solution to address this issue.
As some of the residents move from the countryside to the city because of the income opportunities in the city, the city is a place of attraction and need for many as facilities such as health and education are not available in other district cities. Urban researchers have been demanding the formulation of a 'National Urban Policy' for a long time, but it has not seen the light of day. In the case of Dhaka, it can be said that because more people are moving towards the city, due to unplanned urbanisation, on the one hand, the city dwellers are constantly suffering from water and air pollution, high temperature, waterlogging, traffic congestion and health crisis. On the other hand, due to the gathering of so many people, the number of homeless people in the capital is increasing and the amount of greenery is decreasing. Experts fear about Dhaka, this city is going to become an open slum. Commercial establishments are constantly being built by filling up agricultural land, reservoirs and lakes from Dhaka and its surrounding areas. A study has revealed that 25 percent of the city needs greenery, but Dhaka has only 8 percent.
The reality is that our actions are predominantly urban-centric. If this continues, the situation will only worsen in the future. Therefore, there is no alternative to ensuring civic amenities and infrastructure development through decentralisation. It is crucial not only to initiate projects for village development but also to provide all the necessary facilities for living. Additionally, economic activities should be expanded to ensure the financial prosperity of rural populations.
Moreover, well-thought-out action plans and policies are essential to address challenges such as traffic congestion, and water and air pollution caused by Dhaka-centric urbanisation. Effective initiatives must be undertaken to implement sustainable urbanisation and urban decentralisation properly. In this regard, political will is indispensable.
Messenger/Fameema
