Where do we live in today?

In order of livability, a local English daily published a report that ranked Dhaka among the world's worst ten cities! We would have topped the list. However, luckily for us, Damascus, the capital of Syria (in civil war), leads the table. So we are the second worst city in the world.

What is of interest is that most of the ten worst cities are located in Muslim countries! These are Syria, Nigeria, Pakistan, Algeria and Bangladesh totaling in all five Muslim countries and another is in Papua New Guinea and the rest in Africa!

Among the top ten best livable cities, most (7) are located in the British Commonwealth countries.  Except for one each in Austria and Finland, three are in Canada while Australia tops the list having four. Shall we not do something to improve our sorry and sad score, in having the second worst city in the world which is Dhaka!

It may be an interesting proposition if the daily that published this news organises a competition among its readers to present, say a ten to 12-point pragmatic proposal, for cleaning and improving the face of Dhaka city so that at the least we are out of this 'ten worst city' list.

S.A.Mansoor

Dhaka.

Email: sam@dhakacom.com