Why Dhaka becoming an unlivable city

Dhaka is becoming unlivable due to unplanned urbanization, excessive air and noise pollution, severe traffic congestion, inadequate civic amenities and poor waste management. The world’s leading research institute Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) also ranked the capital Dhaka at the bottom of the livability list. Rows of concrete structures are being built in Dhaka city; green killing, canal filling and encroachment are going on every day without thinking about the environment. Dust in the air of this city, a thick layer of garbage in the river-road-sewers. The capital Dhaka is becoming unlivable due to various reasons including more population than its size, air pollution, noise pollution, waterlogging, traffic congestionand loss of environmental balance. In the name of urban reform, many initiatives have been taken, but none of them have been implemented. There is no end to the suffering of the city dwellers. 

Their complaints about this are not less. City residents complain that they are facing various problems in every area of ​​civic life. Population is undoubtedly an important determinant of how livable Dhaka is. Dhaka has long been the world’s most densely populated metropolis. About 45 thousand people live in every square kilometer in Dhaka. According to the latest official statistics, the population of Dhaka metropolis is at least 18 million. Every day about 1500 people and about 500,000 people are increasing in Dhaka metropolis. A huge construction project is going on in Dhaka to meet the housing, education, medical, transportation, employment and other commercial needs of this huge population. But as this development of the growing Dhaka metropolis is not balanced with the environment and nature, not only in population density, but already air pollution, noise pollution,Dhaka has emerged as one of the top places in the world in terms of light pollution and temperature rise. As a result, it is not surprising that Dhaka will be at the top of the list of the worst cities to live in overall. Rather, it is necessary to think about how unplanned progress has made the capital Dhaka so unlivable even after fifty years of independence. How livable and healthy the environment is depends on the amount of open space and green space and water bodies in a city.


Environmentalists believe that any city should have at least 25 percent greenery. But the amount of green area in Dhaka metropolis is only 5 percent in the old part and only 12 percent in the new part. However, it is seen that in violation of the ‘Building Construction Regulations’ and the ‘Open Spaces, Parks and Natural Reservoirs Conservation Act’, construction projects are increasing in the name of development in Dhaka’s open spaces and parks. According to the rules, infrastructure cannot be built on more than 5 percent of such open space. But a study by the Bangladesh Institute of Planners has shown that the amount of concrete covering in the parks or gardens in the capital Dhaka is increasing day by day. People are increasing in Dhaka along with population growth in Dhaka that has developed unplanned.  So Dhaka has now become the second largest metropolis in the world. According to the United Nations, the population of the two metropolises will grow at a rate of 5 percent over the next 25 years. One is Dhaka, the other is Shanghai. The policy makers of Bangladesh are not able to keep pace with the way Dhaka is growing.

And after 25 years, Dhaka will be the most populous metropolis in the world. The United Nations says that in 2050, no other country in the world will have a bigger city than Dhaka. A large number of people in Dhaka city actually do not get any civic benefits. This is not unusual for a city that ranks at the bottom of the list of world’s most livable cities. Dhaka is an unlivable and expensive city. In order to survive in this city, the citizens are constantly put to extreme tests of mental and physical strength. It is unusual to survive in this city of irregularities and mismanagement. In this city there is no minimum security for the lives of the citizens. Bricks falling from under-construction buildings, electrocution on flooded roads, fire while eating at a restaurant with family, getting hit by a bus while standing on the sidewalk or between two buses can kill the residents of this city at any time. Unnatural death is a normal occurrence in Dhaka.

Every year, The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) compiles a list of the world’s most livable cities based on certain criteria, including livability. The list is based on factors such as political-economic stability, education, healthcare, infrastructure, environment and cultural environment. Improvement or deterioration in livability does not happen overnight. Gradually it becomes visible. One of the reasons for Dhaka city being at the bottom of the livability index is overpopulation and high population density. Any city loses its livability if the carrying capacity of the city is not considered in the light of population density and infrastructure and civic amenities in the development plan. Severe day-long traffic jams, public transport crisis, suffering from heatwave-flooding, lack of decent work environment and working hours, food insecurity, soaring commodity prices, skyrocketing rents, rampant junk food, lack of healthy entertainment, high cost of substandard education, dengue-chikungunya outbreak, corruption-irregularity, income to meet the cost of living. Residents of Dhaka have to spend each day in various crises and complications including cold food. Being deprived of minimum civic amenities, living in this city can sometimes feel like a curse.

To make a city a ‘metropolis’ or developed city, advanced infrastructure (roads, electricity, water, sewerage), modern education and healthcare,Employment, improved communication (Internet), waste management, recreational and cultural opportunities, and a well-planned environment needs to be ensured. Apart from meeting the basic needs, economic opportunities and civic amenities make a city modern. Dhaka has now become a city of slums. Slums can be seen in almost all areas of the city. According to urban experts, there are several criteria for livability of modern metropolitan cities. These include: availability of services and facilities, affordability of living and movement, opportunities for meaningful livelihood, safe and undisturbed life, clean and healthy environment, socially just, sense of community among city dwellers, assurance of quality education and health care, attractive and adequate public space, walk able, healthy natural environment, attractive cultural activities and opportunities for public participation. According to these criteria, the position of Dhaka city is towards the bottom.

In July last year, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the research arm of the media organization Economist, published a survey of 173 cities around the world on indicators such as stability, health care, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. It can be seen that Dhaka is at number 171 in the list of livable cities in the world. Apart from this, the data of the top cities with the most air pollution is available almost every day, and it can be seen that the position of Dhaka metropolis is at the top of the list. When you think of Dhaka metropolis, the appearance of a giant city in the shape of a monster floats in front of your eyes. The city is slow due to traffic jams.City people slow down. Heavy rainfall during the night led to waterlogging in many areas of the capital. City dwellers including students have to suffer on the streets in the morning. There is no major work in sight to address such issues. A little rain causes waterlogging, the highway sinks. City people are afraid of floods. Its drainage system is not good. Urban waste is spread due to lack of quality management, Construction work goes on throughout the year, dust and dust in the city. The city is dull and dirty. It is accompanied by poverty, social inequality, health care crisis and poor governance. Still people are coming to Dhaka;they want to stay in Dhaka. Education, health, cultural activities, industry, trade, construction, transportation and even the informal sector are concentrated here. Effective initiatives are needed from now to make Dhaka a modern and planned city. Otherwise, Dhaka will turn into an uninhabitable and abandoned city. Dhaka will not be livable if we cannot find sustainable solutions to citizen services, regional equity in urban development, environmental protection, implementation of development projects with priority given to public health, traffic congestion, environmental pollution including air-water and waste management.