Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Tajul Islam regretted the fact on Sunday that the authorities have not yet been able to prepare a long-term master plan for Dhaka with a specific objective to address various issues for a period of 100 or 200 years.
He also said the future plans have to be worked out taking cognizance of the existing bottlenecks to make them more realistic and useful for people.
Besides, the LGRD ministry is ready to make any amendment to the laws to fulfil the changed demands and aspirations of the citizens.
"There has been taken no step to prepare a long-term master plan for Dhaka. If there is any master plan prepared for a period of less than 100 or 200 years it is not realistic at all," said Tajul Islam, adding: any plan spanning 10-20 years is not effective one.
He was addressing as the chief guest at a view-exchange meeting at the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) during his first visit after taking oath as the LGRD and cooperatives minister.
State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Swapan Bhattachariya and senior secretary of Local Government Division SM Ghulam Farooque were present as special guests with DSCC mayor Sayeed Khokon in the chair.
The minister said an ideal city should have less than 40 per cent of its area for housing - both residential and commercial, 25 per cent for communication and the rest for greenery, playground and water.
But capital Dhaka has only seven per cent area for communication, two-three per cent for water while the matter of playground or greenery was hardly considered, he added.
"We've started with some inherent problems, solution of which cannot be given outright.... Plans should be made taking cognizance of the these bottlenecks in to make it more realistic and beneficial for people," said Mr Tajul.
"We definitely can sort out the problems through collective efforts. We will even amend laws to meet the changed demands and remove bottlenecks," he said.
The minister said the objective of his visit was to inform the DSCC that the central and local governments want to work together.
The minister stressed the need for bringing the drives against food adulteration under a management system at ward level.
The minister assured that necessary manpower will be arranged to continue the programmes.
The minister said the authorities have failed to give due importance to the Buriganga river which could be a lifeline of Dhaka.
He asked why various service providers could not cut the roads in a coordinated manner if other countries in the world have been able to do so.
He also laid emphasis on hassle free, compliant construction to make people's life comfortable.
Mr Islam informed that the government is working to find out a technology for waste management and power generation from waste as there is not enough space for waste disposal in the DSCC which is home to 7.5 million people.
Ghulam Farooque said the government has adopted the election manifesto of Awami League as the target and working paper.
DSCC has to work according to a time-bound action plan; good governance will be ensured if people get hassle-free services, he added.
The secretary also assured that the city corporation law will be amended to ensure quality services to the citizens.
Arc Mobasher Hossain said the four sweet water rivers around Dhaka have been the most polluted rivers in the world due to absence of a waste management system.
But there is so much rainfall in Bangladesh that these rivers can be pollution free within two years, he added.
Criticising various ministries and 54 authorities' activities which have been worsening the situation of Dhaka, he said that about five ministries have been constructing flyovers in Dhaka abruptly hiding the information from each other.
Arc Rafiq Azam said Dhaka has a master plan without any philosophy and character. DSCC has to fix the target to give it a character - the city of six seasons, rivers or any other; everyone is using the footpaths as a store, he added.
Mayor Sayeed Khokon said DSCC has been seriously affected by the bifurcation in terms of revenue earning which is 40 per cent of the undivided city corporation.
But the expenditure here is 60 per cent and operation expenditure is much higher, he added.
He alleged that the organogram of the DSCC has not been approved even in long eight years and the corporation is working with 40 per cent manpower.
He also opined that the local government should not always depend on the central government.
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