The three adjoining cities Dhaka, Narayanganj and Gazipur and some areas of Keraniganj are being connected with Dhaka in the Detailed Area Plan (DAP). With this, the new area of the plan will be 1528 square kilometers.
The plan was presented in the final draft of DAP in a seminar on Saturday in the capital’s Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon.
According to the 2011 BBS survey and the DAP plan, about 15.5 million people are currently living in Dhaka. By 2035, that could reach about 26 million.
Dhaka, Gazipur, and Narayanganj are being added as three city corporations and five municipalities as per the boundaries and extent of areas under RAJUK included in the plan. These are Savar, Tarabo, Kaliganj (partial), Sonargaon (partial) and Kanchan (partial). It will also include 69 union councils of three districts.
Read more: 7.5 crore people to be fully vaccinated by Jan: Minister
Ashraful Islam, project director of DAP, said that plans were prepared considering the stage at which Dhaka can go in 2035. In the plan, the maximum height of any building has been determined in light of the width of the road so that no area is overcrowded.
"We have given priority to neighbourhoods having walking opportunities for people to travel and to use the waterway. DAP puts a lot of importance in giving priority to the environment,” he said.
The PD further stated that this year's plan has been taken keeping in mind the prescribed principles. National and international high-level policies and plans have also been taken into consideration while formulating the targets. For example, UN Sustainable Development Goals, Perspective Plan 2021, Seventh Five Year Plan, RAJUK Strategic Plan, etc.
The four main goals of the plan: universal investment freedom, improved living standards, tolerant cities, conservation, and revitalization of the ecosystem, were discussed in the seminar.
LGRD Minister Tajul Islam said that in addition to various initiatives to make Dhaka modern, attractive and livable, the plan aims to create an eco-friendly city by constructing several large, water-centric and eco-parks, playground recreation centers and ring roads.
“If the residential areas, where industrial mills have already been set up, are environment friendly and do not cause any suffering to the people then the area will be considered as a mixed area. Not only that, online based business will be encouraged in these areas,” said the minister.
He added that in order to finalize the DAP, views shared in the seminar will be considered. The suggestions and opinions will enrich the plan.
“It is possible to implement the philosophy of Bangabandhu and execute the goals and objectives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina if all the talented people of the country are united by utilizing their talents,” said the minister.
According to the DAP land-use proposal, 60 pc of the 1528 sq km area of the city has been identified. It includes residential area 4.36 pc, mixed use area (residential head) 32.50 pc, mixed use area (residential-commercial) 0.45 pc, commercial area 0.16 pc, mixed use area (commercial head) 1.43 pc, mixed use area (industrial head) 7.90 pc, institutional area 4.01 pc, heavy industrial area 1.63 pc, transport communication (existing) 5.25 pc, transport communication (proposed) 2.35 pc, agricultural area 29.22 pc, reservoirs 7.95 pc, forests 1.41 pc and open space 1.38 pc.
Financial adviser to the PM, Salman F Rahman, Narayanganj City Corporation mayor Selina Hayat Ivy, city planner Professor Nazrul Islam, engineer Monurul Huda, Deputy Secretary Dr Sultan Mahmud, architect Iqbal Habib, Khandaker Rakibur Rahman and many others spoke at the seminar.
