Unplanned construction hampering urbanisation: Experts

Unplanned building construction, violation of related laws, and bureaucratic complications hamper proper urbanisation in the country, experts said at a dialogue yesterday.

Planners and engineers have been making apartments in the city, but in most cases low income groups of the society could not afford those houses, they observed.

They made the comments at the dialogue on "Urban Infrastructure and Housing" at a conference hall of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP). It was part of BIP's dialogue series on urban planning and development.

Housing rules have to aim at making living in a city easier in terms of employment and dwelling, they said.

Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, former adviser of a caretaker government,  said without the "behavioural protocol" (or a set rules of behaviour), the maximum benefit could not be reaped from any infrastructure.

"There is a multi-storey car park at the Dhaka airport, where tickets are given for entry and exit... But there is zero management on how the cars get in and out," he said, while sharing his recent experience at the airport.

He also alleged that even after building the four lanes in the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, the average travel time between Dhaka and Chittagong had not come down due to the roadside businesses. 

Dr AKM Abul Kalam, president of BIP, said capacity building for urban government was a prime necessity for urban planning, and the whole country should be under a national physical planning programme.

Dr Christopher J Webster, dean of the faculty of architect of Hong Kong University (HKU), and Dr Rebecca LH Chiu, head of the urban planning and design department, HKU, presented papers at the dialogue.