Urban planners should be given priority for sustainable dev

Plan must precede any development work not only in the capital but also across the country to make economic growth sustainable, said town planners at a discussion yesterday.

“Unplanned development cannot be sustainable,” said Md Ashraful Islam, project director of Detailed Area Plan revision for Dhaka city. “But the planners are faced with opposition both from within the organisation and outside if they intend to go by planning norms.”

Development work must cease being driven by engineers alone, as has been the age-old culture, the authorities have to appoint adequate number of planners and listen to them to guide the development, he said.

At least 16 deputy town planners are required for eight zones of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) divided into 24 sub-zones but only six deputy planners are there, he said.

A planner's professional opinion is not sought in the process of development work, said Atiqul Khalid, town planner of Dohar municipality.

The reality is that a town planner at local government institutions is dictated by an engineer, said Khalid, also president of Bangladesh Municipality Planners Association.

Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) organised the discussion on “Urban planning and civic services: role of planners” on its premises in Dhaka.

Out of a total of 329 municipalities, only 176 first-class municipalities have posts for one town planner each, he said.

Rezaul Karim, chief town planner of Chittagong City Corporation, said the role of town planners must be demonstrated at upazila level to protect the country's pre-dominant agricultural economy, environment, rivers and canals.

They urged the government not to go ahead with any urban plan by passing professional planners.

Shawkat Ali, a former town planner of Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan (DMDP), said the government should create a central cadre of planners to carry out and oversee development activities.

Moinul Islam, town planner of Narayanganj City Corporation, also spoke.

BIP President Prof Abul Kalam Azad was present while its General Secretary Adil Mohammad Khan moderated the discussion.