Relocate BDR HQ and Dhaka Cantonment and shut down Tejgaon Old Airport
Saturday, 27 November 2010
In the 1960's only 20 per cent people in Asia lived in cities, but as Asian cities and towns are producing about 80 per cent of the GDP for their respective countries, by the year 2030 some 55 per cent of the region's population is expected to live in cities. This trend is even more apparent in Dhaka, one of the mega cities in Asia with a population of more than 12 million, as it is the major employment centre of Bangladesh.
Hundreds of people are migrating to the already crowded Dhaka city every day from rural areas in search of employment and a better life. This is driving land prices in Dhaka through the roof.
The land developers are utilising every inch of space available on the ground to build apartments and the condominiums. The limited green space and the canals that exist in the city to maintain the environmental stability are also being illegally occupied by land developers and other entities to build homes and apartment complexes, increasing the chances of natural disasters such as flood in the city. The city is becoming a jungle of bricks and concrete without hardly any fresh air to breath. Due to this and the unimaginable traffic conditions, Dhaka city is becoming almost unlivable. However, since it is the major employment center in the country, despite all these issues, people still continue to live here.
There is no point in blaming anyone for the situation in Dhaka right now, because that is not going to improve the living conditions of the residents of the city. Driving people out of the city may not also be a good option, as it will need people to continue the economic growth. Driving out people may actually slow the growth of the economy. To improve the current situation in Dhaka, especially, the living standards of the residents, it is first necessary to evaluate the existing land use impacts in the city and then identify which land uses needs to be in the city to continue the economic growth and which land uses can be moved out of the city without affecting the economic expansion.
After observing the land use impacts of Dhaka City, it can be determined that the 'usable' area of the city can be technically increased, if the BDR Headquarters and the Cantonment is moved outside Dhaka, and if the Tejgaon Old Airport is shut down. These three developments are making Dhaka appear more congested than it actually is because these are creating an uneven distribution of population density in the city. Population densities in these three land uses are very low compared to the density of the rest of the city.
Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and the army are definitely necessary to protect the sovereignty of the nation, but both the forces occupy vast land within the city, where they do not have much function. Most importantly, by moving the BDR headquarters and the Cantonment out of the city, the economy will not suffer at all. In fact, if they are moved out then they can actually have more land than what they have currently. It will be a win-win situation for both the city and the BDR and the army. Currently, the Tejgaon Old Airport does not have much significance to the city as before, and leaving it open is simply a luxury for the city because this is also not having any positive impact in the economy of the city. Since, even the government thinks that the main airport, which is already in the outskirts of the city, should be moved even further out of the city, keeping the Tejgaon Old Airport open any longer just does not make sense.
A major reason for traffic congestion in Dhaka is because of the lack of east-west connections in the city. By moving the Cantonment out of the city and shutting down the old airport new east-west links can be build in this area, which will definitely ease some of the congestions and solve some of the east-west connection issues. Currently, the two major developments that are thriving for space in this congested city are residential development and commercial development. Opening up these spaces will provide more space for residential developments and commercial developments, including spaces for parks. In addition, the city can also relocate some of the illegal slums to these locations, which will let the poor people have a better life.
Opening up these spaces for these types of developments will distribute the population density evenly across the city and the city will not look as congested as before. Moreover, the city will be able to accommodate more people than before. This idea has been proposed by many experts of the country. The government should now start implementing the idea, as this is the only feasible way available to improve the living conditions of the residents of Dhaka city.
The writer, a Civil Engineer, can be reached at e-mail: ridwanq@gmail.com
Hundreds of people are migrating to the already crowded Dhaka city every day from rural areas in search of employment and a better life. This is driving land prices in Dhaka through the roof.
The land developers are utilising every inch of space available on the ground to build apartments and the condominiums. The limited green space and the canals that exist in the city to maintain the environmental stability are also being illegally occupied by land developers and other entities to build homes and apartment complexes, increasing the chances of natural disasters such as flood in the city. The city is becoming a jungle of bricks and concrete without hardly any fresh air to breath. Due to this and the unimaginable traffic conditions, Dhaka city is becoming almost unlivable. However, since it is the major employment center in the country, despite all these issues, people still continue to live here.
There is no point in blaming anyone for the situation in Dhaka right now, because that is not going to improve the living conditions of the residents of the city. Driving people out of the city may not also be a good option, as it will need people to continue the economic growth. Driving out people may actually slow the growth of the economy. To improve the current situation in Dhaka, especially, the living standards of the residents, it is first necessary to evaluate the existing land use impacts in the city and then identify which land uses needs to be in the city to continue the economic growth and which land uses can be moved out of the city without affecting the economic expansion.
After observing the land use impacts of Dhaka City, it can be determined that the 'usable' area of the city can be technically increased, if the BDR Headquarters and the Cantonment is moved outside Dhaka, and if the Tejgaon Old Airport is shut down. These three developments are making Dhaka appear more congested than it actually is because these are creating an uneven distribution of population density in the city. Population densities in these three land uses are very low compared to the density of the rest of the city.
Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and the army are definitely necessary to protect the sovereignty of the nation, but both the forces occupy vast land within the city, where they do not have much function. Most importantly, by moving the BDR headquarters and the Cantonment out of the city, the economy will not suffer at all. In fact, if they are moved out then they can actually have more land than what they have currently. It will be a win-win situation for both the city and the BDR and the army. Currently, the Tejgaon Old Airport does not have much significance to the city as before, and leaving it open is simply a luxury for the city because this is also not having any positive impact in the economy of the city. Since, even the government thinks that the main airport, which is already in the outskirts of the city, should be moved even further out of the city, keeping the Tejgaon Old Airport open any longer just does not make sense.
A major reason for traffic congestion in Dhaka is because of the lack of east-west connections in the city. By moving the Cantonment out of the city and shutting down the old airport new east-west links can be build in this area, which will definitely ease some of the congestions and solve some of the east-west connection issues. Currently, the two major developments that are thriving for space in this congested city are residential development and commercial development. Opening up these spaces will provide more space for residential developments and commercial developments, including spaces for parks. In addition, the city can also relocate some of the illegal slums to these locations, which will let the poor people have a better life.
Opening up these spaces for these types of developments will distribute the population density evenly across the city and the city will not look as congested as before. Moreover, the city will be able to accommodate more people than before. This idea has been proposed by many experts of the country. The government should now start implementing the idea, as this is the only feasible way available to improve the living conditions of the residents of Dhaka city.
The writer, a Civil Engineer, can be reached at e-mail: ridwanq@gmail.com