Bus owners obstructing transportation reforms: Rizwana

As the government moves to remove old buses from Dhaka streets, bus owners are demanding reclassification and threatening strikes if their demands are not met, said Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan today.

"The Road Transport Division has decided that 25-year-old buses must be removed. Transport owners now want them reclassified as 30 years old, threatening strikes if not accepted—similar to the reaction when stone extraction was halted in Sylhet," she said at a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) titled "Decentralisation and Environmental Welfare of the Capital: Towards a Sustainable Dhaka" at the DCCI Auditorium, Motijheel. An expert panel discussed solutions to make Dhaka more livable and environmentally sustainable.

Architect Iqbal Habib highlighted the city's extreme density: "Dhaka occupies only 1% of the nation's land but houses 32% of urban residents and contributes 30% of GDP. Lack of decentralisation has driven the population from 2 lakhs in 1974 to 20 million in 2023."

Explaining the need for combined efforts, RAJUK Chairman Engr. Md. Reazul Islam said, "Decentralising Dhaka must be done in an integrated manner so all stakeholders can contribute effectively."

Adil Mohammed Khan, President of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners, emphasised regional development: "Effective decentralisation requires providing employment outside Dhaka. Why not develop opportunities in Rangpur or Shariatpur?"

Addressing governance challenges, Rizwana highlighted the difficulty of implementing new systems with existing personnel and institutions. "Building a 'New Bangladesh' with old structures is inherently challenging," she said, noting entrenched practices and vested interests.

She illustrated this with the recent recovery of a khas land plot in Chattogram valued at Tk 1,156 crore. Immediately after reclamation, influential businessmen attempted to secure it for private projects, showing how old networks and power dynamics complicate reform and protection of public assets.

Rizwana stressed that public support is essential: "The government will enforce laws, but change requires collective action." During the event, speakers emphasised the critical need for coordinated planning, stronger environmental regulation, and effective decentralisation policies to secure a sustainable future for Dhaka.