Source: The Daily Star, 1 July 2010

Speakers at a discussion yesterday stressed the need to implement the proposed Detailed Area Plan (DAP) to ensure a planned and environment-friendly Dhaka city for the next generations.

They pointed out that if the government fails to implement the DAP properly, the capital will not be able to stand up to the pressures of unplanned urbanisation, which might result in it being eventually abandoned within a decade only, much like Japan’s old capital Kyoto.

The ‘Rights of Workers and Consumer Safety and Public Accountability in Bangladesh’ Project of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), with support from Safety and Rights, a human rights organisation, and the Australian High Commission in Dhaka organised the discussion titled ‘Bangladesh National Building Code: Implementation and Way Forward’ at the National Press Club in the city.

Chaired by eminent lawyer Dr Kamal Hossain, the discussion was addressed by Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan President Prof Muzaffer Ahmad, Rajuk Chairman Nurul Huda, Barrister Rabeya Bhuiyan, Rajuk director (Development) Sheikh Abdul Mannan, Chairman of the Department of Law and Justice at South East University M Assaduazaman and BLAST Director General Mohsin Ali Khan.

Architect and planner Salma A Shafi presented the keynote paper at the discussion.

Rajuk Chairman Nurul Huda said there is no way, other than implementation of the DAP, to protect the city from unplanned urbanisation.

Pointing fingers at unruly real estate companies, he said a vested quarter has been trying to create hindrances to implementing the proposed DAP as well as carrying out other Rajuk activities.

Revealing the nature of Rajuk activities, he said the capital development agency has already demolished some 50 unplanned and vulnerable structures across the city.”We are going to form a special team involving skilled engineers and planners to identify vulnerable structures in the city,” Nurul Huda added.

Source: The Daily Star, 1 July 2010