Without political commitment, there will be no planned urbanisation: Politicians 

Planned urbanisation will not be possible without political commitment and coordination among government ministries and to do that, corruption must be reduced to ensure sustainable development, political leaders said today (18 January).  

"Strong coordination among ministries within the government is essential to ensure sustainable urban development. If there is political willingness, Dhaka can be effectively decentralised by spreading services such as education and healthcare," said Mahdi Amin, adviser to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson and spokesperson of the BNP's electoral governing board, at the session held at a city hotel.

Titled "Planned urbanisation in political practice", the roundtable was organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Planners in association with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with politicians, planners and architects in attendance.

Mahdi Amin said the introduction of more electric vehicles on the roads needed to be prioritised and said that industrial belts around Dhaka lacked proper interconnectivity.

"Industrial belts such as Munshiganj, Narayanganj and Narsingdi do not have the level of connectivity seen in the world's most developed cities," he said, adding that land grabbing and the encroachment of canals and rivers could not be stopped without political commitment.

"We want to ensure at least one playground in every ward or locality. At present, going to a restaurant is often the only form of entertainment for people," he said.

Criticising past development initiatives, he said many mega projects were not people-centric and mainly benefited a small group. He added that the BNP chairperson had already made commitments on urban planning and that professional planners would be included in future plans.

Nasreen Sultana Mily, joint secretary of Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party), said most development planning in the country followed a horizontal approach rather than vertical planning.

Drawing on her experience as a lawyer and real estate developer, she said approvals from Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) reflected a lack of vertical planning, which had turned Dhaka into a "concrete jungle".

She warned that groundwater in the capital could run out within the next decade.

"There is no clear plan on how city residents will get water after that. We are moving towards an unplanned disaster," she said.

Mily also criticised the loss of open spaces, saying authorities often allowed rooftops to be used for artificial turf and playgrounds to be rented out for commercial activities.

"If we become part of the government, we will focus on creating more playgrounds, engaging urban planners in every project and properly using their expertise for the country's development," she said.

Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair, assistant secretary general of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, criticised party-centric governance, saying it prevented accountability and led to inflated project costs.

"If those in power remain unaccountable and people blindly support parties, nothing will change and the cost of projects can rise many times over," he said.

Zubair also alleged that bribery had increased despite the absence of an elected political government.

"Many upazila nirbahi officers, deputy commissioners and other officials have told me that bribe rates went up after the uprising," he said.

Referring to the casualties during the unrest, he questioned the outcome of the movement.

"If bribery has increased, then why were nearly 1,400 people killed and around 30,000 injured?" he said.

He said Jamaat-e-Islami aimed to empower people committed to good governance.

"We want to give more space to honest and capable people for the country's development," he said.