Editor's Pick

Editorial

Livability rating of Dhaka

An indictment on city governance
23 February 2011, 18:00 PM
EDITORIAL
Dhaka makes news once again. This time for wrong reasons though. It has come second only to Harare as the most unlivable city in the world. What a badge to wear, what a distinction! According to a 2011 survey carried out by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a prestigious research wing of the London based weekly Economist released last week: Dhaka was placed at 139th position out of 140 countries surveyed. The criteria of the standings were based on the following factors: stability, healthcare, environment and culture, education and infrastructure. Out of 100 points at stake Bangladesh could earn only 38.7 points just beating Harare marginally at 37.5. Karachi and Colombo are other two Asian cities that make the last ten. Last year, Dhaka held the same position. What on earth for? It is a disquietingly hard truth for a city credited with having a long historical legacy and a rich cultural heritage. Dhaka came to be known the world over as the city of mosques, muslin and greens. It attracted travelers from far and near through ages. It had a character of its own which is all but lost now. It was founded as far back as in 1608 A.D. as the seat of the imperial Mughal Viceroy of Bengal. Today Dhaka is weighed down with insurmountable problems. The population now hovering around 15 million is root cause of all related problems. Mass exodus from rural areas for better opportunities, unplanned growth of roads and housing, strangulating traffic congestion, shortage of gas, electricity and water, environmental pollution caused by vehicles and industries, add to these the social crime and political instability - problems appear to be mounting everyday. Only way to reverse the situation is to make outskirts of Dhaka and other towns the epicenters of growth, create employment opportunities by way of SMEs, opening of educational institutions, medicare facilities, entertainment outlets like parks, cultural rendezvous of different denominations. Decentralization of the administration has been long over due with self-contained zones of habitats so that people don't have to travel long distances. Dhaka's civic governance should be radically improved by bringing into being a unified city authority.

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