Publication of Buet’s research book on river-canal living in Bachila

Photo Collected

A+ A A-

A research book has been published on river-canal living in Bachila area of ​​Mohammadpur, western edge of the capital Dhaka. The name of this book published by the Department of Architecture of Bangladesh University of Engineering (BUET) is “Coming Beyond Enclosure: Inhabitation with Rivers and Canals in Bachila.”

The book was unveiled at BUET’s Department of Architecture on Saturday afternoon. The book was edited by BUET architecture faculty Shaer Ghafoor, Fatima Meher Khan and Ahmed-al-Muhaimin.

The book analyzes and presents the concept of urban life, marginal people’s life and livelihood and urban-based collective usable resources focusing on rivers, canals, open spaces and natural resources in Bachila area. The book calls for urban open spaces, green spaces and water bodies to be viewed as collective assets beyond private or public ownership. According to the study, Dhaka’s livability crisis is gradually increasing, behind which the decline of the city’s collective wealth is a major reason.

Studies have shown that marginalized communities are more affected by environmental problems such as air and noise pollution and heatstroke. In this book, the flood water area along the Buriganga River and the Ramchandrapur Canal, which flows by the side of Bachila, have been transferred to private ownership through legal and illegal means, through map analysis.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony of the book, Professor Anu Muhammad of Jahangirnagar University said that public spaces, rivers and natural resources are gradually being encroached upon. As a result, the life and environment of marginalized people are getting damaged. The concept of development should not be limited to infrastructure or GDP growth but should be rethought to focus on people’s quality of life, environment and rights. He stressed on bringing research on environment, urban and livelihood issues to the public by publishing them in Bengali.

Professor Giti Ara Nasreen of Dhaka University said that the research book reflects people’s opinions and the reality of life. Women’s experience is often neglected in urban planning. Public spaces need to be made more inclusive and safer.

Jyotirmoy Barua, a lawyer of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, said that urbanization has been developed by removing marginalized people for a long time; Where common people’s land, rivers, forests and public spaces are being encroached on in the name of law and planning. State and dominant group policies operate in the development process; He also said that where poor people are continuously displaced.

Manjur Ahmed Chowdhury, the former chairman of the National River Protection Commission, said that the book analyzes the reality of urbanization, environment and marginal life in the Bachila area – how collective resources and public spaces are gradually being taken over by private individuals. According to the constitution, the ownership of wetlands and rivers belongs to the state, but in reality, illegal structures are being built in the floodplains, which are endangering the environment and the urban system.

Professor Shaer Gafur said, in the context of Bangladesh, public space or collective resources have been the center of social movements and changes many times. Therefore, the public sphere should be seen not only as an aesthetic or infrastructural point of view, but as a space for social rights and participation. Bachila’s research brings to the fore the realities of that possession and transformation. It calls for inclusive urban thinking involving marginalized people.

The book is published by Cell for Resilient Living (CERD). Distributed by The University Press Limited. The price of this 234-page book has been set at 1,000 taka or 40 US dollars.