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Build a separate! functional capital

Shahnoor Wahid
BY all means, accept the fact that Dhaka city is not functional anymore. It is past all logic and rhyme. There is no use trying to beat around the bush because we know it for a fact that Dhaka is finished. We can feel its pain because we grew up in this city and took good care of it in our time. Those of you who are responsible for its destruction came from God-knows-wherever only some years ago, with the sole aim of robbing Dhaka of its wealth and beauty. You have made your fortune here and now you are ready to go to Malaysia or USA or Australia or Mauritius. But we have not done so. We cannot do so.
When Dhaka belonged to us, we did not cut down any one of those majestic trees. We never filled up the ponds or canals or low-lying areas surrounding the city. The water in the rivers was clean and there used to be plenty of fish. We did not allow anyone to grab the banks of the rivers and lakes. The garbage collection system was flawless, and rainwater never brought the city to a standstill. The roads did not breakdown within six months of repair. And we took good care of the historical structures as our commitment to our glorious heritage and tradition was always unwavering. Look what you have done to them!
Look at Dhaka today! Look at its sheer size apd ugly shape! Look at its garbage disposal system, look at the roads, smell the river water, look at the historical buildings, look at the crime index! Are we civilised? Spend a day in travelling across one end of the city to another, east to west, north to south, to complete your important work, like opening a bank account, or getting delivery of your passport, or beating your arch enemy to dropping a million dollar tender. You will forget the name of your fourteen generations.
The great politicians, the great engineers, the great town planners and the great mayors, who came and went like sea tides could not see it coming. They were so busy making money dial they had no time or urge to look ahead and plan ahead. Today, students and teachers cannot attend classes in time...diplomats cannot reach the Secretariat in time...patients cannot reach hospitals in time...people cannot walk on pavements...motorised vehicles crawl in first gear for two hours to reach a two-kilometre distance. "Dhaka is dead. Long live Dhaka."
Therefore, what we urgently need is to earmark a large area nearby, preferably on the west bank of the river Shitalakhya, to build a new capital city, where only government offices, ministries, foreign missions and major financial institutes will be located. Think of Washington D.C. and
build it keeping that model in mind. There, no building is tailer than the Washington Monument.
Everything in the small new capital city will be within walking distance so that officials would be able to walk to meetings with secretaries or even the prime minister. The roads will be five times wider with perfect traffic signalling system. There would be only electric train or tram service, so no bus or minibus to pollute the environment and beauty of the city.
The public thoroughfares, only two perhaps, will be located on the edge of the city from where electric trains or trams will pick up passengers. Passengers will have to show identity cards and pass for entry to the Secretariat at those points. Therefore, no one would be allowed to come in for a jay walk.
The capital city will not allow any garment factory, car repairing workshops, small shops on roadsides, open fish mar-
ket, open vegetable market, minibus or tempo service, schools, colleges and universities for the public. Some government flats will be there to accommodate government officials who would prefer to live there. Diplomats will live in luxury homes to be built by the government. There would be exclusive restaurants, golf course, park for diplomats for jogging or taking a stroll in the evening, two or three shopping malls to buy everyday commodities and so on.
Sounds Utopian? Have the courage to think other than building culverts or bridges, and then you will have the courage to implement these ideas. Why don't we evaluate the present day situation in its proper perspective and take action right away before it's too late.
Shahnoor Wahid is a Senior Assistant Editor of The Daiy Star He can be contacted al shahnoorwahid ©yahoo co uk