City planning in Bangladesh needs to be done in a more sustainable way so that the rapidly urbanising parts of the country have the necessary infrastructures and services to make them good places to live in, the World Bank said on Saturday.
“Cities are the engines of growth, but rapid, unplanned urbanisation prevents cities from realising their full potentials,” said Qimiao Fan, Country Director for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal of the World Bank at a conference here.
Over 300 mayors from all over the country, as well as some from other countries, urban planners and professionals participated in the international conference titled ‘Bangladesh City Planning Must be more Sustainable for Livability’ to discuss challenges and ways to improve cities in Bangladesh.
The World Bank organised the conference in partnership with the Municipal Association of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Institute of Planners, Institute of Architects, Bangladesh and Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh with financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
“To become an upper middle-income country by its 50th birthday, Bangladesh must manage its urbanisation sustainably. As Bangladesh’s long-term development partner, we look forward to working together to improve the livability, competitiveness and sustainability of cities in Bangladesh,” Qimiao Fan said.
In Bangladesh, rapid and unplanned urbanisation has affected the livability in the cities. Today, about 54 million Bangladeshis live in cities and the number will be more than double in the next 35 years. Yet, one-fifth of urban dwellers live in poverty, said a World Bank release.
Most of the cities and municipalities in Bangladesh offer inadequate infrastructures and low levels of urban services. Bangladesh needs to increase spending on local infrastructures. The share of local spending compared to total public expenditure in Bangladesh is about 3 percent, one of the lowest globally. The cities are underperforming in terms of livability, the global lender said.
Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon spoke at the inaugural session, which was chaired by the President of the Municipal Association of Bangladesh Md Abdul Baten.
