Footpaths

Photo : Shawkat Jamil

Thanks to The Daily Star for carrying the series "Whose footpath is it?" We certainly keep our eyes blindfolded to this issue, whether it's the City Corporation or the general public.
Dhaka city lacks good footpaths for pedestrians. The majority of the footpaths Dhaka has are 3-4 feet in width and some of them really are too high for ordinary people to use them . It is rather unthinkable for a city like Dhaka which is highly dense and has tremendous shortage of safe, decent public transport. The footpaths we have are so narrow in width all over the city.
It is up to our city planners and the City Corporation to determine the width of the footpaths based on the density and area but they should consider the growth of the city and it's population. I feel that the footpaths should be not less than 20 feet in width on all major streets and should have 2x2 feet spots (Every 10 feet) for planting trees which will help to combat the ever growing pollution of the city.