& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

World Town Pianning Day Observed

Involve people in city planning for successful implementation Speakers tell roundtable

Staff Correspondent
Speakers at a roundtable yesterday called for involving people in city planning for its successful implementation.
The roundtable titled 'Urban planning in Bangladesh: Perspective 2020' was organised by Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) with the assistance of UNDP to mark the World Town Planning Day 2008.
Addressing the roundtable at BIP auditorium as chief guest, Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa) President Prof Muzaffer Ahmad said the culture of Bangladesh and its bureaucrats do not allow people to get involved in planning.
"This culture should be changed to get better result as without involving people we will not get the benefit of the planning," he said.
Prof Muzaffer said, "In India people are involved at the initial stage of planning, and then the plan is approved in parliament. This is absent in our court try."
Emphasising the need for professionalism Prof Nazrul Islam, chairman of University Grants Commission, said experts like planners and architects who are involved in city planning, should not be commercialised but it happened in Bangladesh, which is a major cause of unplanned urbanisation.
He said the number of people in Bangladesh is now about 15 crore which will reach 25 to 30 crore within 20 years.
"We have to make proper planning from now on to accommodate the people and at the same time keep land for agriculture," he said.
"If we believe in climate change,
we also have to make plan considering about three to five crore people who will lose their lands," headded.
Underscoring the need for education on urban planning Prof Nazrul said this should start from kindergarten level and there should be planners even at village level.
Architect Iqbal Habib said the government is preparing a Detailed Area Plan (Dap) and the involve ment of people will have to be ensured in it, otherwise it would not be fruitful.
Prof Golam Rahman said due to lack of proper planning on urbanisation, Bangladesh is losing 2.1 percent arable land every year.
Stressing the need for proper implementation of planning he said, "We make planning but we do notimplementit."
"Although we have transport
planning but it is very much focused on cars and motorised vehicles, not for the pedestrian and people," said Moslchuddin Hasan who delivered the keynote speech.
"Our demand Is give priority to pedestrians and people, and then cars and motorised vehicles," he
“To make the city liveable we must have urbanisation policy, compact development, preservation of agricultural land, integrated land use in urban areas, planned transport infrastructure and retention of canals and water bodies to reduce waterlogginghe added.
Earlier, Dhaka City Corporation Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka inaugurated the daylong programme of BIP that included colourful rally, photo exhibition and cultural programme marking the day.