The Rajdhani Unnayan Katripakkha (Rajuk) needs to be thoroughly restructured to have well-planned urbanisation and development in the capital as it has failed to deliver anything significant to this effect over the years, speakers at a seminar said Tuesday.
Citing various examples, they said the state-owned city development authority is now largely focusing on real estate business by giving less importance to regulatory and monitoring activities.
They suggested for engagement of competent and capable private investors with the government's long-term urbanisation plan to make the overpopulated capital city and other big cities of the country livable ones.
Criticising activities of the Rajuk, they said the restructuring process can be done in the line of DDA (Delhi Development Authority) and renamed as Dhaka Metropolitan Development Authority with a senior minister as chairman of the board and a senior secretary as vice-chairman or CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of the board.
The International Business Forum of Bangladesh (IBFB) organised the seminar titled "Well-Planned Urbanisation and Development: Involving Private Sector under Public-Private Partnership (PPP)" at a city hotel.
IBFB president Hafizur Rahman Khan presided over the function where Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain also spoke as chief guest.
Presenting the keynote paper, former housing and public works secretary Suhel A Choudhury said the nation cannot afford to wait any further for a total restructuring of Rajuk as the capital city is struggling to cope with the growing population pressure.
"The balanced urbanisation process that we're talking about cannot be possible by the existing Rajuk. Appointment of less qualified persons in the leadership of Rajuk should be held responsible for destroying Dhaka," he said.
He said the city development authority took a number of measures like township and apartment projects to reduce growing pressure on the mega city but they failed to execute most of the schemes over the years.
In the PowerPoint presentation, he said redevelopment of old areas, half-planned and unplanned areas of the capital and other major cities could be followed as have been done in cities like Singapore City, Brussels, Jersey City and elsewhere in the world.
Upholding the importance of building more township projects, he said more satellite cities can be developed around Purbachal Town Project where necessary infrastructures like roads, bridges and water bodies are being developed.
"Township project needs to be developed around each of the SEZ (special economic zone) to ensure sound urbanisation process and PPP could and would assist in such ventures," he said.
Terming private sector as a key component of economic development, Abdus Salam of the Bangladesh Land Development Authority said the Rajuk is now engaged with real estate business although it lacks qualitative manpower to deal with such jobs.
"Rajuk is no longer a regulatory body. It's a state-owned business entity. So, the country immediately needs separate authority to do regulatory and monitoring activities in respect to balanced urbanisation," he said. Rajuk Chairman GM Joynal Abedin Bhuiyan turned down the allegation, saying that the city development authority never takes township or apartment projects on business purpose.
"We proportionally allocate plots and flats under a specific guideline. In some cases, we do the jobs through a lottery. So, the concept about the Rajuk is not right at all," he said.
The Rajuk Chairman, however, admitted the fact of less regulatory and monitoring activities by itself because of technical manpower shortage.
"Hopefully, we'll be able to overcome the problem soon as the government has already approved to increase its manpower. We'll appoint 32 more authorised officers and 64 assistant authorised officers in coming days to bring pace in its regulatory and monitoring activities," he said.
Mr. Bhuiyan also sought cooperation of other state-owned utility service providers like both parts of Dhaka City Corporation, Wasa, Desa and Desco as Rajuk alone cannot ensure balanced urbanisation in the capital.
He said they have taken a new initiative called Ghure Darao Rajuk (Bounce Back Rajuk). Under the programme, moral lessons will be given to its officials to intensify their efficiency.
Speaking as chief guest, Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain backing the activities of Rajuk, saying that city areas like Dhanmondi, Banani and Gulshan were not created without Rajuk.
"Yes, I know there are some officials who are involved with irregularities and corruption and I talked with the Rajuk Chairman after becoming a minister and strictly instructed him to take measures to address those," he said.
About the issue of plot development, he said Rajuk will not go for taking any further plot development project considering the country's future generation.
"We rather go for projects building high-rise apartment buildings for the city dwellers and nearly 100,000 flats of different size (64,000 in Purbachal, 20,000 in Uttara and 10,000 in Jhilmil) will be developed in the coming years," he said.
The minister said the ministry awarded a private company with the jobs for constructing apartments under Uttara Residential Model Town (3rd Phase) Project.
"But unfortunately, they have totally failed. I have good news over the project as an envoy of Malaysian government recently visited us and shown their immense interest in this respect," he added.
Rajuk now engaged in real estate business, IBFB seminar told
FE Report | Published: June 11, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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