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producing biogas, compost, biofuel, eco-bricks, and solid refuse-derived fuel.

On March 16, Salam visited the site and inaugurated a compost plant designed to process 100 tonnes of organic waste daily, yielding 20 tonnes of organic fertiliser.

He also announced plans to convert the landfill into an eco-park and playground to reduce odour and pollution. Work is expected to begin after Eid-ul-Azha.

DSCC engineers are currently installing fire safety measures, including 40 hydrants across the 181-acre site, pipelines, reservoirs, and portable pumps. Soil covering of waste mounds is also underway to mitigate fire risks.

Dr Mohammad Sofiullah Siddique Bhuiya, DSCC’s supervising engineer, said landfill gas extraction, fire prevention, and soil covering are being carried out in tandem.

“Once completed, waste management will become far more effective. It will not only address Dhaka’s mounting waste crisis but also bring positive changes to the city’s environmental management by turning daily waste into usable resources,” he added.

However, urban planner Adil Mohammed Khan expressed caution. “Given the current context of Bangladesh, the quality of waste here, particularly the high proportion of wet content, raises serious questions about whether our waste is even suitable for power generation. So far, there has been no research confirming that Bangladesh’s waste is adequately prepared for waste-to-energy production.”

He noted that a similar project by DNCC in Aminbazar failed to present a credible feasibility study and has since remained stalled.

“Now, DSCC is also considering similar waste-to-energy initiatives. However, under the existing conditions, there is still no technically sound or evidence-based study that proves the feasibility of such projects in Bangladesh. Therefore, such initiatives should be avoided,” he added.

“Our waste management master plan, which was developed when the two city corporations were unified, emphasised source segregation and exploring ways to reuse waste. The focus should be on assessing the feasibility of these aspects. As for waste-to-energy in Bangladesh, there has been no pilot project so far. The government should first conduct research-based initiatives; only after that should it move forward with such projects,” he added.