Local Government Minister Declares Dhaka Unlivable Citing Pollution and Poor Urban Planning
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has described Dhaka as increasingly unlivable, citing severe environmental degradation and a lack of effective urban planning. Speaking Saturday at an event titled “Dakkhiner Janala” in the capital’s Bijoynagar area, the minister admitted that the city’s deteriorating conditions often leave him longing to abandon the metropolis for his village home.
The minister pointed to the hazardous quality of the air and the prevalence of what he described as “polluted oxygen” as primary drivers of his dissatisfaction. Reflecting on his student years in 1963, when he regularly navigated the Buriganga River by boat, Alamgir expressed deep frustration over the current state of the city’s waterways. He lamented that both the Buriganga and Shitalakshya rivers are now so heavily contaminated that the stench makes proximity to them unbearable, noting that meaningful projects to restore these vital water sources have been conspicuously absent.
Addressing the broader governance of the capital, the minister argued that shifting the burden of change onto citizens is insufficient. He questioned the efficacy of those currently tasked with urban policy and administration, urging a critical evaluation of how thousands of crores of taka in development funds are being utilized. Despite the massive scale of ongoing urban projects, he noted that the tangible benefits for average residents remain questionable.
Alamgir further highlighted the perils of haphazard urbanization, noting that frequent, costly infrastructure investments—such as drainage systems—have failed to adequately resolve waterlogging issues. He also raised an alarm regarding the city’s plummeting groundwater levels, which have receded by thousands of meters, labeling the situation a looming environmental crisis for Dhaka.
The minister expressed support for the “Dakkhiner Janala” initiative, urging stakeholders to move beyond rhetoric and implement substantive, corrective measures to restore the city’s livability. He pledged full cooperation from his ministry to support these efforts. The event, chaired by Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Abdus Salam, was attended by various experts, including environmental and water resource specialist Ainun Nishat, entomologist Kabirul Bashar, and urban planner Adil Muhammad Khan.
