Reunify Dhaka city corporations, form metro govt: Task force on economic reforms

What task force report says:

• Dhaka's north and south city corporations should be reunified.
• A unified mass transit unit should be created to manage all public transport.
• Dhaka's road network is poorly designed, and traffic management is outdated.
• Traffic speed has declined drastically, making Dhaka one of the slowest cities.
• 85% of urban development is unauthorised and doesn't meet fire safety standards.
• The central business district and residential areas are located far apart, increasing travel demand.
• A comprehensive urban master plan integrating land use and transport is needed.

The task force on economic strategies has recommended a reunification of the two city corporations of Dhaka. 

"Similar to Delhi's reunification of its municipal corporations, Dhaka could benefit from unifying the North and South city corporations into a single entity in the form of 'Metropolitan Government'," reads the task force report submitted to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Thursday (30 January). 

The Hasina-led Awami League (AL) government split Dhaka into two in 2011, ignoring all calls and criticism. 

Meanwhile, Dhaka's mayors have, for almost three decades, been calling for the city's utility services to be consolidated under a metropolitan government in order to greatly improve the quality of service delivery. 

Mohammad Hanif, the first elected mayor of the then-divided Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), first raised the issue of establishing a metropolitan government in 1996. 

He first raised the proposal to Khaleda Zia and received a negative response. After the Awami League came to power in 1996, he raised the issue again with the local government ministry. However, the ministry found the proposal impractical, as the government was unwilling to give the DCC authority over service providers, especially the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

According to the recent task force report, the reunification of Dhaka would streamline governance, reduce redundancies, and improve resource allocation.

The report also puts emphasis on integrated urban planning. 

"Develop a comprehensive urban master plan that integrates land use, transport infrastructure, and public services," it says. 

Establish unified mass transit unit

The task force report on economic reforms recommends establishing a unified mass transit unit that consolidates all modes of transit and paratransit services, including bus route franchised (BRF) services, trams, BRT, LRT, monorails, suburban commuter rails, MRT, and rideshare services, under one administrative body. 

"This unified unit should be overseen by the mayoral office or a dedicated local government office to ensure coordinated management and planning of different modes of public transport to provide seamless," it says. 

Moreover, the report says implementing these reforms will require strong political will, effective leadership, and sustained efforts from all stakeholders involved. "By adopting these recommendations, Dhaka can address its current challenges and move towards becoming a more liveable and efficiently governed capital city," it adds. 

Challenges that Dhaka faces

The task force on economic reforms says Dhaka faces significant challenges that undermine its ability to function as a modern and liveable capital. 

"The city suffers from a poorly designed road network, covering only 7% of the area, with an absence of hierarchy among primary, secondary, and tertiary roads, and a lack of arterial routes. Traffic management systems remain outdated, with no implementation of modern solutions such as one-way traffic flows, tidal traffic management, road pricing, or mass transit infrastructure, including terminals or multimodal transport hubs," reads its report. 

It says the already tangled multi-modal transport system is further complicated by approvals for additional railway tracks and multiple flyovers, all while chaotic and dysfunctional traffic operations persist. "Moreover, capital-intensive flyovers have caused irreversible damage, significantly limiting the potential for future mass transit improvements."

The report also suggests that reliable accessibility to essential services such as hospitals, offices, and schools remains inadequate, and this issue is further exacerbated by chronic drainage problems and groundwater depletion.

Central Business District in Dhaka south while residential areas in north

The task force report says Dhaka's central business district (CBD) is eccentrically located in the south, whereas most residential areas lie in the north, resulting in high travel demand across the city. 

"Alarmingly, 85% of urban development is unauthorised and does not comply with firefighting standards. Additionally, restricted zones around airports and cantonment areas have suppressed urban densification. Meanwhile, due to the unavailability of buildable land, wetlands are being filled with unplanned development, causing severe environmental damage," it says.

Moreover, the task force says Dhaka's traffic operating speed has seen a dramatic decline over the years, dropping from 25 km/h in 1997 (DUTP Study) to 15 km/h in 2005 (STP Study), further decreasing to 6.7 km/h in 2015 (RSTP Study), and showing even worse performance in the most recent URSTP findings (unpublished). 

"This downward trend indicates that Dhaka is gradually becoming a standstill, nearly motionless city. According to Google, Dhaka is officially the slowest city in the world."

Mentioning several global rankings, including the livable index, air pollution index, traffic speed index, and water quality index, the report says the rankings highlight Dhaka's critical challenges in liveability, pollution, traffic management, water quality, and economic competitiveness. 

"Many of these damages are irreversible, such as patternless road networks that are incompatible with modern traffic management and mass transit systems. There is no space for wider footpaths, bikeways, or public transport facilities. The railway system is entangled with road infrastructure, and rail and road bridges have constricted waterways and their potential."

It says the densified, uncontrolled fringe areas, including riverside ribbon development, greatly diminish the potential for planned expansion through redevelopment. 

"Additionally, immovable restricted zones spanning nearly 11.5 km in the north-south direction [from Tejgaon Airport to HSIA] further constrain urban mobility and growth."

Moreover, Dhaka operates with a single airport and a single runway, unlike neighbouring countries that have strategically developed multiple airports and runways to support their growing urban and economic needs, says the report. 

Dhaka ill-equipped to function as modern, smart, investment-friendly capital

The report on economic reforms says the structural weaknesses indicate that Dhaka is ill-equipped to function as a modern, smart, and investment-friendly capital. 

"Despite these glaring issues, there is no strategic plan to relocate or decentralise the capital, even though neighbouring countries have successfully executed similar transitions. The question of shifting Dhaka is no longer about feasibility but about survival- socially, economically, and environmentally."

It warns that Dhaka's capacity to function as a sustainable capital will continue to erode without immediate and decisive action, posing a significant threat to the nation's long-term growth and stability.

In its report, the task force mentioned that around 40 countries worldwide have either shifted or planned to shift their capitals. 

Notable examples include India, Pakistan, Brazil, Nigeria, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt, and South Korea. 

The primary reasons for these relocations include overcrowding and congestion, which strain infrastructure in existing capitals; the need for better accessibility within the country, and environmental concerns, such as risks posed by groundwater depletion, sinking land, natural disasters, or pollution, as seen in Jakarta's planned move to Nusantara. 

"Most importantly, these shifts aim to enable the new city to become a modern, smart city with minimal physical travel demand, resilient, environmentally sustainable, innovative, 21st-century, and investment-friendly capital," says the report. 

What task force says about Delhi Municipal Corporation

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was reunified in 2022 to resolve the challenges and inefficiencies that emerged following its trifurcation into North, South, and East Delhi Municipal Corporations in 2012, according to the task force report. 

"While the split aimed to decentralise governance, it instead led to significant operational and financial hurdles. The division created duplicative administrative structures, increased bureaucratic overhead, and delayed decision-making processes."

It says coordination among the three corporations was inadequate, particularly in managing essential civic services such as waste management and infrastructure maintenance. Additionally, overlapping responsibilities and jurisdictional confusion weakened accountability.

"The reunification sought to streamline governance, eliminate redundancies, and ensure better resource allocation. It centralised responsibility, improved financial stability, enhanced administrative efficiency, and facilitated more effective service delivery ultimately strengthening urban local governance in Delhi," says the task force report.

What task force report says about Delhi Municipal Corporation

The task force on economic reforms has mentioned the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) as an example of the proposed reunification of Dhaka's city corporations. 

MCD was reunified in 2022 to resolve the challenges and inefficiencies that emerged following its trifurcation into North, South, and East Delhi Municipal Corporations in 2012, according to the task force report. 

"While the split aimed to decentralise governance, it instead led to significant operational and financial hurdles. The division created duplicative administrative structures, increased bureaucratic overhead, and delayed decision-making processes."

It says coordination among the three corporations was inadequate, particularly in managing essential civic services such as waste management and infrastructure maintenance. Additionally, overlapping responsibilities and jurisdictional confusion weakened accountability.

"The reunification sought to streamline governance, eliminate redundancies, and ensure better resource allocation. It centralised responsibility, improved financial stability, enhanced administrative efficiency, and facilitated more effective service delivery, ultimately strengthening urban local governance in Delhi," says the task force report.