DHAKA: Clean-city campaigners Monday urged the government to finalize the ‘Detailed Area Plan (DAP)’ and implement it immediately for building the capital the city in a planned way, as critics call Dhaka a concrete jungle.

They also demanded intervention of the Prime Minister in this regard.

Alleging that a ‘vested quarter’ in the housing and real estate sectors are active to foil the comprehensive plan for their own interest, they also called upon the government to take stern action against what they called ‘land grabbers.’  

The pleas came from a press conference organized at the National press Club by Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA), Bangladesh Paribesh Ainjibee Samiti, Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), Bangladesh Sthapati Institute (BASTAI) and Center for Urban Study (CUS).

BAPA president Professor Muzaffar Ahmed presided over the press meet. He claimed that some vested-interest people are grabbing wetlands, streets and land of the city “exploiting loopholes of the law”.

He also demanded finalization and implementation of the DAP designating the jurisdiction of law in this regard.
 
Addressing the press conference, president of Bangladesh Shapati Institute Architecture Mobashwer Hossain requested the government to unveil the ‘land robbers’.

The press conference was told that, the Awami League-led government took master plans --‘Structural Plan’ and ‘Urban Area Plan’--under Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan in 1997.

In 2004, four consulting firms prepared the ‘Detailed Area Plan’ (DAP) following the two master plans. The present government, however, formed a review committee finding faults in the plan.  

The review committee, led by Professor Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, already submitted the plan to the Prime Minister on March 26 this year. Later, REHAB published advertisements in some national dailies demanding change in the plan.

Executive Director of BELA Syed Rezwana Hasan, CUS general secretary Nurul Islam Nazim and BIP vice-president Shawkat Ali Khan also spoke.


BDST: 1548HRS. May 24, 2010
TSA/MMA/SMS/MUA