Urban and regional planners and experts came up with various suggestions, including reducing discrimination among the country's various regions and districts, at the concluding session of an international conference on Sunday.
They also suggested that regional planning is very underdeveloped in the country, which must be improved.
The planners emphasised listening more to people's opinions to understand their demands, make optimum use of land, and plan for the city targeting 2050.
On the other hand, they observed that their role is sometimes considered as against development.
The Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) organised the two-day programme - "1st International Conference on Urban and Regional Planning 2019". Its concluding session was held at CIRDAP auditorium in the city.
Mayor of the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Atiqul Islam was present as the chief guest at the closing session.
Executive Chairman of the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) Hossain Zillur Rahman and Professor Nazrul Islam were present on the occasion as the special guests.
Hossain Zilur Rahman said planners have to be able to make effective plans in the context of absence of any fixed starting line and moving goal post in Bangladesh.
They also have to possess multi-dimensional personality and skills to listen to people's opinions more to understand their demands.
There is a huge gap even between districts, like - Dhaka, which is highly urbanised, and Satkhira, which represents an under-developed region, he added.
Nazrul Islam said planning must be done for the whole country. This type of plan has been successfully done in the Netherlands, Israel and Taiwan.
"We move forward in an unplanned manner and pay the toll. There was a national physical plan for the whole country, which was never implemented."
He also mentioned huge discrimination among the country's districts and regions. Even Manikganj, which is so close to Dhaka is less than 20 per cent urbanised, while Dhaka is 93 per cent urbanised.
Atiqul Islam said the planners have to bring the (desired) changes. They should plan for the city, considering it in 2050.
Expressing his resentment, the DNCC mayor said Bangladesh is such a surprising land, where traffic signal is not followed. But the authority concerned purchases so many lights for that purpose.
"I think the responsibility of operating signals should be on the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and not on the city corporation. It is in a haphazard condition now. We are working in many fronts, but those are not becoming sustainable."
"The hawkers on Karwanbazar footpaths told me that they pay extortion money of Tk 0.2 million every month," he also said.
Many big housing companies are cheating people with false promises and looting people's money, he added.
Earlier, Planners Convention 2019 was held.
Planner Ashraful Islam said some vested groups consider planners against development. But it is true that a development project may lead to non-development.
For example, so many flyovers could not solve the city's traffic problem, he noted.
The development projects must be sustainable and environment-friendly. Planners' role is not to obstruct any development process, rather to make it sustainable, he added.
General Secretary of the BIP Adil Mohammed Khan said planners are not accepted to all quarters, as they question some of the non-development process.
There are 238 master-plans in Bangladesh, but not a single plan was fully implemented. Almost 80 per cent of planners, who were appointed in various municipalities, left their jobs, the participators noted.
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