Students share views with DNCC mayor on 'a child-friendly city'

Some 100 students on Wednesday met the Dhaka north city mayor to share their views on 'a modern and child-friendly city'.

A dialogue titled 'Meet My Mayor' with DNCC Atiqul Islam was held to reflect the views and thoughts of children in urban planning, where children and youths directly spoke to the mayor about their expectations and suggestions for the future Dhaka.

The Dialogue was jointly organised by Dhaka North City Corporation and Save the Children in Bangladesh at the auditorium of DNCC where about 100 children and youths from different schools, colleges and universities of the capital participated.

A recent study by the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) revealed that three per cent of the wetlands of Dhaka have been filled in the last six years.

Water logging takes place even if it rains for only two hours and due to this, people of the city, especially the children, do not have the environment to go to schools and colleges.

Children and youths raised question about the initiative of the City Corporation as those affect their regular academic activities.

According to RAJUK's Detailed Area Plan (DAP), at least two playgrounds are required for every 12500 people but there are 235 playgrounds in the entire Dhaka, of which civilians have access to only 42 playgrounds.

According to DAP, 38 more playgrounds are required in Uttara residential area. Mohammadia Housing area and Adabar have 0.4 million residents and there is no playground where there were supposed to be 63 playgrounds.

The mayor said, "I am sorry that there is not enough space for children to play. We have taken a project to build playfields for multipurpose use. Our next step is to send letters to schools and colleges so they can open up their fields for children to play."

The dialogue was conducted by Vice-president of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) Prof Dr Akter Mahmud.

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