Staff Reporter :
Speakers in a shadow parliament on Sunday urged the government for taking integrated development actions to reduce city dwellers’ sufferings.
Collective actions of people and development agencies for a sustainable urban development is a must, they said, pointing to the factors responsible for sufferings of the dwellers.
The factors behind urban sufferings include lack of awareness among dwellers, extreme traffic congestion, water logging, improper waste management, illegal grabbing of water bodies, illegal grabbing of roads and footpaths, unplanned makeshift markets, random car parking on roads, mass transport mismanagement, uncoordinated road and street digging by agencies, shortage of gas, electricity supply and unplanned, uncoordinated development works of different agencies.
The shadow parliamentary debate programme on ‘Reducing city dwellers’ sufferings: Role of people and city corporations’ was jointly organised by Debate for Democracy and ATN Bangla at the Film Development Corporation in the city.
Chaired by Chairman of Debate for Democracy Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiron, the programme was attended by State Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Md Maoshiur Rahman Ranga as the chief guest.
Sher-E-Bangla Agricultural University debating team took part in the debate as the government side, while Prime University debating team was the opposition side.
Moshiur Rahman Ranga underscored the need for coordination among the development agencies and said such unplanned development works are not only wasting tax payers’ money and valuable resources but also causing unbearable sufferings to the dwellers.
“The issues have to be addressed by the authorities for saving investments and sustainable development in the country,” Rahman mentioned.
On mass transportation, he said Dhaka City Corporations are going to introduce route-wise modern buses for the city dwellers.
“Old buses and vehicles would be renewed and donated to the schools and colleges of the cities to popularise mass transportation rather than private ones within 2018, which will help lessen traffic congestions,” the State Minister added.
Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiron said city dwellers have to be aware of their civic responsibilities.
“For ensuring accountability, transparency and sustainability, both authorities and citizens have to be bonded and increase patriotism. It would ensure development,” Hasan added.
