Overcrowded city
The number one item on the list is obviously to shift hundreds of garment factories outside the city. It would have tremendous beneficial effects on the economics, ecology and sociology of urban life. But, no concrete plans have been discussed publicly or announced, although we read about a lot of verbal assurances on future policies. RMG is a powerful and sensitive political lobby, as many politicians are involved in this vast industry. It is being coddled for too long, which may not ultimately be in public interest. Social illnesses and epidemics take time to emerge and become visible. We are still steeped in ad-hoc management practices. Long-term projects and policies receive step-motherly treatment from succeeding regimes.
The bomb blast in Aziz supermarket complex is another warning sign: separate the residential flats from offices and shops. Corollary: shift the NGO and business offices from the residential areas such as DRA, Lalmatia and other well demarcated residential zones. There is too much internal penetration beyond the main roads (such as Satmasjid, Asad Avenue).
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Target: Offices and family residential flats should not be located in the same building, for obvious reasons. Now a large number of shopping complexes have come up in Dhaka. The upper floors can accommodate a large number of offices and NGOs. The latter are not being encouraged to shift with carrot and stick policies (the governance is too politicized for visible action day by day). Formerly, it was a question of finding alternative accommodation. Now real estate development is very much visible in all big cities. So what's the administrative problem in policy-making?
As for the shifting of the RM-Garment factories outside the cities (in all divisions of the country), some residential and messing arrangements have to be made for the lakhs of female workers. It is disgusting to note that the related associations and the coordinating ministries do not even talk about it (for awareness), not to speak of announcing regulatory policies. We are fond of default culture.