Life in Shahidnagar: One of world's densest urban areas

Zahangir Hossain, a 48-year-old rickshaw puller, was sitting on a stool in the Shahidnagar area of Dhaka, sipping tea, on an August afternoon. He has been living in the area for the last 25 years. Originally from Jhalakathi, Zahangir moved to this area as one of his relatives used to live here.

"The number of people living in this area is very high. If you enter the narrow alleys, you will find that there are countless small factories here as well," said Zahangir. 

He added that as rent is low, people come to live in Shahidnagar under Lalbagh Thana. 

"You can rent out a single room for Tk2,000 if you want to live alone," said Zahangir. 

Locals like Zahangir Hossain have another reason to live in the Shahidnagar area. Like a village, everyone knows each other and they have strong social bonds. 

"The people of the old town are different. If anyone has trouble, another person comes forward to help them out," said Zahangir, adding, "you will not get that bond anywhere else in the city."

He said he temporarily lived in the Dholaipar area for two years but he did not get any peace of mind there. As a result, he returned to Lalbagh. 

"It is like my hometown; everyone is familiar. If I do not have any money in my pocket, I can buy anything on credit," he said.

In the newer parts of Dhaka, social bond among neighbours is fairly weak nowadays. But the scenario at Lalbagh, as well as Shahidnagar, is a bit different. Most people know each other and in general, they have a good relationship. Photo: Noor-A-Alam

Located at the south-western end of Old Dhaka, Shahidnagar sits along the shores of the Buriganga River. The neighbourhood is congested with buildings and narrow alleys, like the rest of the Old Dhaka area. But the difference is, these buildings are relatively new. Lying on the outskirts of Dhaka, this is also considered a residential place for low-income people. 

The area next to it is Kamrangirchar. The Sadarghat-Gabtoli Road basically divides Shahidnagar and Kamrangirchar.  

Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) conducted a study titled 'Density, Livability and Development Management for Dhaka City', in 2020. At the time, Lalbagh Thana was the most densely populated urban area not only in the country, but also in the whole world. Experts believe that the population density of Shahidnagar may have contributed to the population density of Lalbagh. 

BIP's 2020 study found that a staggering 168,151 people live per square kilometre in the Lalbagh Thana area, while at Chawk Bazar - which has the distinction of being the second most densely populated city area in the world - 130,122 people live per sq km. Both numbers are based on the Population and Housing Census of 2011.

Mumbai's Zaveri Bazar, Macau's St Anthony Parish and Karanj in Surat make up the next three most densely populated areas with 114,001, and 111,636 and 107,288 people per sq km respectively.  

Dhaka city, of course, one of the most densely populated cities in the world. According to the latest Population and Housing Census 2022, the population density in the Dhaka South City Corporation is 39,353 people per square kilometre, while the population density of the Dhaka North City Corporation is 30,474 people per kilometre. 

Photo: Noor-A-Alam

Urban planners said although the area-wise calculation of the latest census is yet to come out, it is evident that the size of the population has increased.

Mokaddes Hossain Zahid, councillor of ward 24 under Dhaka South, said his ward is the most densely populated area in Lalbagh. The ward is around one square kilometre but around 200,000 people live in it, he claimed. 

This is because low-income people mostly live in this ward, as rent in the area is lower than other areas in the city.

"If you rent a three-bedroom flat in Shahidnagar, you will have to spend Tk15,000 at most. The rent for the same flat will be no less than Tk40,000 in other areas," said ward councillor Zahid, adding, "The rent will stand between Tk25,000 and Tk30,000 in the Azimpur area."

He said that they have provided TCB cards among around 14,000 families in the area. When commodities from TCB arrive, in the first few days, they face huge pressure to distribute them among the population.  

"As most of the people living in the area are low-income, I have to face problems when distributing government handouts to all of them," Zahid added. 

There is a tempu (motorised three wheeler) stand at the Kellar Mor, where traffic congestion is very high. Zahid said that the number of private cars is low in the area. People use auto rickshaws and rickshaws to move from one place to another. 

Most of the low-income people living in the area either work in the New Market or Chawk Bazaar. As a result, their transportation expenses are also low. 

As the place is densely populated, the area is rife with criminal activities. The ward councillor said that there are teen gangs. However, there are some good things as well that are keeping them together.

In the newer parts of Dhaka, social bond among neighbours is fairly weak nowadays. But the scenario at Lalbagh, as well as Shahidnagar, is a bit different. Most people know each other and in general, they have a good relationship. 

The councillor said there is a gas crisis in the area like other parts of the city. But there is no water crisis. Electricity supply is alright. 

Most of the people living in the Shahidnagar area are from Madaripur, Shariatpur and Barisal, because it is close to the river. There are three main roads in ward 24. For example, in the JN Saha Road area, 60% of people are local people and the rest of the 40% are from Shariatpur, Madaripur and Barisal, claimed Zahid.

"If you count the population of Shahidnagar, only five percent are local Dhaka people, the rest are from Shariatpur, Madaripur and Barisal," said Zahid. 

Habibur Rahman, a 60-year-old businessman, sat inside Lalbagh Sporting Club watching a football game on television. He said that he had moved his house from Lalbagh to Chawk Bazaar area six years ago. He said that the population of Lalbagh area has increased because of the increase in population in the Shahidnagar area and other neighbouring areas inside Lalbagh Thana. 

"Shahidnagar was once a char; but this land has been developed and a huge number of people now live in the area," said Habibur Rahman, who was born and raised in Lalbagh. 

Though the rent in Shahidnagar is low and most of the people come from low income households, the house rent is high in Lalbagh's old area. For example, the Dhakeshwari Road area.

Ziauddin Nasim, a florist, was also watching the football match at the club. He said that there is a lot of traffic congestion in the Dhakeshwari Road area. 

"It is a big problem in the area, but there is no trouble among the dwellers," said Ziauddin, who was also born and raised in the Dhakeshwari Road area. "Most of us are locals, and we know each other, but in the places like Shahidnagar where the newcomers live, criminal activities and other problems are high."

Photo: Noor-A-Alam

Adil Mohammed Khan, former general secretary of Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) and also Professor of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Jahangirnagar University, said that when there is a high density in a certain area, everything from amenities to utilities face huge pressure. 

"The population of the high-density area will not get facilities properly and some of them will be deprived of facilities," said Adil Mohammed Khan. "Traffic congestion will be high."

Interestingly, many people in the area do not realise that they have long been living in arguably the world's most densely populated area. 

"The most important thing here is that people have the capacity to adapt. They do not notice they have been deprived of amenities because they have been accustomed to the situation," said Adil Mohammed Khan. "They are thinking that this is normal."

He opined that the government can acquire land to provide amenities and other facilities to the people of the area. But he said that the government should make sure that new areas are being developed in the city in a planned way.