Developers should not go unchallenged

Filling up water bodies in blatant disregard of the rules. Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

BANGLADESH Environment Network (BEN), the global network of non-resident Bangladeshis and their international friends, takes strong exception to and deplores strongly the way some real estate developers attacked the State Minister for Works, Mr. Abdul Mannan and Prof. Jamilur Chowdhury, the expert who was given the responsibility to review the Detail Area Plan (DAP) necessary for implementation of the Dhaka city Master Plan.
They made this attack publicly, in presence of journalists, in a recent meeting held in the secretariat. The developers are apparently upset by the proposed DAP aiming to retain 21% of the land as floodwater retention zones.
It is well known that many unscrupulous developers are capitalising on the housing demand by capturing wetlands in and around Dhaka city indiscriminately and promising housing construction on lands that are still under water. Yet, filling up of wetlands will leave no room for rain and floodwater, aggravating the water-logging problem that has already become serious in the city.
It is quite natural for these developers to oppose DAP, which preserves wetlands and restricts the space for their projects. However, the audacity they displayed in attacking the minister publicly, using unceremonious language, is unheard of. These people, some of whom have outstanding criminal cases against them, also had the audacity to question the integrity of Prof. Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, who is well known for his independence and honesty.
BEN hopes that the government will stand firm against the myopic demands of the developers and take strong action against those developers who violated the norms of behaviour at the meeting. BEN also calls upon all the conscious citizens of the city and the country to thwart the machinations of the greedy developers.
Of course, the growing housing demand has to be met. However, this can be done by promoting decentralisation and vertical growth. Decentralisation will relieve the pressure on Dhaka city, and vertical growth will allow construction of dwellings while retaining space for passage of rain and flood water. The government also needs to switch from the Cordon Approach to the Open Approach to rivers, so that risk of flooding can be minimised and the problem of water-logging can be avoided.
While deploring the behaviour of many real estate developers, BEN agrees with one of their demands, which is that Rajuk should quit the business of development and instead focus only on planning and regulation. The current practice whereby Rajuk is both the regulator and developer involves conflict of interest. It is open to question whether Rajuk housing projects of Purbachal, Jhilmil, and Uttara Phase III are also not encroaching on wetlands.
Moreover, Rajuk projects are mostly a way of benefitting select members of the elite at the expense of taxpayers, whose money is spent on these projects, and at the cost of the poor people whose land is acquired for these projects. Enough of such grossly socially unfair projects!
The recent tragic fire in old Dhaka shows how enormous a task of planning and regulation Rajuk has on its hands, and how poorly it is performing that task.
The government should therefore take an immediate decision debarring Rajuk from further development activities and ordering it to focus fully on planning and regulation. Once this is done, Rajuk will occupy a higher moral ground to oppose the shameless developers who are willing to jeopardise the future of the entire city in order to enrich themselves.
While reformulating Rajuk's objectives, BEN hopes that the government will take immediate action against the developers who threatened the minister. The stake is very high. The government has to protect its credibility and honour.
Taking this opportunity, BEN applauds State Minister Abdul Mannan, Prof. Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, Bapa, Bela, and all other organisations and individuals who are trying to have pro-environment DAP in order to save Dhaka city from impending calamity.
Dr. Nazrul Islam, a former professor of economics of Dhaka University, is the Global Coordinator of Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN) and Vice-President of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA).