The United Nations’ latest report ranking Dhaka as the world’s second largest city by population should serve as a stark warning for us. While our capital has been the epicentre of our growth ever since our inception, we must ask, as we at this newspaper have for the past decade or so, is this: What has been the cost of this growth?
With nearly every index of liveability placing Dhaka at or near the bottom, that we have doubled in population in about two and a half decades is an alarming reality. This city, with every passing day, strains more under the weight of the millions who continue pouring in.
Indeed, it is a crying shame that Bangladeshis from all over believe that this city is the only place for seeking opportunities. However, the reality is Dhaka is far from offering opportunities only - this influx only adds to the congestion, pollution, and its fast-collapsing infrastructure.
The concentration of people and power in one city has historically been a national vulnerability; we are already the most densely populated country in the world, and Dhaka is widely considered to be the most densely populated built-up urban area in the world. As such, this density magnifies every crisis -- whether floods, fires, or disease outbreaks -- into a national emergency. This imbalance has also, over the years, deepened inequality, with rural and regional communities left underdeveloped while Dhaka suffocates.
There is, therefore, no alternative to embracing decentralization. At the very least, secondary cities must be strengthened with strategic investment in industry, education, and healthcare. Additionally, government ministries and administrative offices must be relocated to regional hubs. There is also a need for incentives for businesses to establish outside the capital, and must be accompanied by housing and transport development in these regional centres.
Decentralization has never been about only easing Dhaka’s burden but also unlocking our full potential. A country of 170 million cannot hinge its future on one city.
