Work for a Better Dhaka

Are foot over-bridges really good for a city?

2021-09-15T00:53:00.003+06:00

Are foot over-bridges really good for a city? It’s high time to use funds allotted for foot over-bridges - for instance 47 foot over-bridges are to be renovated as part of the Tk319.23-crore project to improve Dhaka’s traffic management - to make more and effective zebra crossings in the country A man carries an ailing woman across

Let’s stand by our lone rangers: The role of RTI activists

2019-06-15T02:12:00.004+06:00

Syed Saiful Alam Shovan/shovanLet’s stand by our lone rangers: The role of RTI activistsWhen young Shovon moved to Dhaka from his village not very long ago, he went looking for ponds to bathe in. He discovered quite a few of them, spread all over the city. But he was soon dismayed to learn that ponds and other waterbodies were fast disappearing to make way for development. Fearing the same fate

Two Environmental Activists, the ADB Office, and a Canal turned Drain

2017-10-26T18:31:00.003+06:00

Syed Saiful Alam ShovanWe had an interesting meeting today with the Asian Development Bank (ADB). We were at their office in Dhaka to discuss some problems that occurred following their “development” of canals in Brahmanbaria and other small cities. Following the “development” of the canal by cementing the sides, what was once a healthy natural place supporting fish and other life has now become

Let’s fight against the company’s colored water terrorism.

2017-05-30T14:46:00.002+06:00

Bangshi River This is ‍the story of an ‘exported’ river. People who have been living on the bank of this river for the last 30 years know all about it. They know how the river has been exported in the name of garment export to the European-American market. The exporters have not only exported the river, but they have also endangered the lives of the people whose livelihoods depend on this

The river is being tortured now.

2017-05-28T16:48:00.000+06:00

The Buriganga is biologically dead and the Sitalakhya is dying, “Had we protected the Sitalakhya, we could have got at least half of the city’s water from it.”

We want our river back.

2016-05-18T14:25:00.001+06:00

Rakhal Dashi After 4 years of libration , Rakhal Dashi got marrid off to Radha Rajbonshi. Father had said, “Dear, there’s blessing in the Rajfulbaria village. And you have a nice

Responses to World Bank on Footover Bridges

2016-02-27T19:52:00.004+06:00

Responses to World Bank on Footover Bridges The World Bank says that in order to improve air quality and safe mobility in Dhaka, one needed measure is more footover (pedestrian) bridges. On a recent visit, the World Bank explained to us that in addition to building 70 km of footpaths, an

No footover bridges in the name of clean air!!

2015-06-14T23:01:00.000+06:00

No footover bridges in the name of clean air!! The World Bank, under its Clean Air Project, is building many footover (pedestrian) bridges in Dhaka. This is wrong on at least two counts. The point of footover bridges is to facilitate the movement of cars, which pollute. Meanwhile, they hinder the movement of pedestrians, who do not. Efforts to improve air quality should focus on

This catastrophe is unprecedented in the Sundarbans and we don't know how to tackle this..........................

2014-12-15T11:26:00.000+06:00

Breaking records: Dhaka rickshaws make the Guinness Book of World Records

2014-11-27T17:14:00.004+06:00

Breaking records: Dhaka rickshaws make the Guinness Book of World Records For years, city officials have complained that “no other city has as many rickshaws as Dhaka,” somehow equating rickshaws with poverty and backwardness. Now, with Guinness recognizing Dhaka as an exceptional city

Guinness World Records as the city with the most cycle rickshaws.

2014-11-22T11:42:00.002+06:00

I can't express how much happy I am to see this great message Nick ! Thank you so much dear. Hi Syed, I sought your expertise earlier this year

Efficiency on Wheels

2014-02-25T23:49:00.004+06:00

Efficiency on Wheels Dhaka Cycle Rickshaw Europeans are proud of the number of trips they make by bicycle, and are attempting to increase those numbers. They understand that bicycles take up very little road space, do not pollute, cost cyclists and the government very little for transport, and are good for health. Ironically, while Western Europeans, some of the richest people in

Traffic congestion: are trains the culprit or the solution?

2014-01-27T02:03:00.000+06:00

Traffic congestion: are trains the culprit or the solution?Traffic congestion: are trains the culprit or the solution? A news item in the New Age newspaper on 24 March states that “Bangladesh Railway has agreed to suspend rail operations between Tejgaon and Kamalapur stations during the peak travel hours to reduce tailback in the capital. The move follows a recent request from the Dhaka

Do we need any ‘VIP’ roads?

2012-09-06T12:54:00.000+06:00

Do we need any ‘VIP’ roads? In a civilised society every citizen should be treated as a VIP by his or her own merits, irrespective of social or economic status. No public infrastructure such as roads should be designated for a specific privileged class. Rather than assigning roads for a few advantaged sections of the society, functional classifications should be

2012-05-01T13:11:00.001+06:00

With a few simple steps, we could make Dhaka more livable. The first step is to change our priorities, by emphasizing access, not mobility, short rather than long distance travel, children, not cars, and livable environments, not just transport. To achieve this, we must change our policies; for instance, by enforcing the ban on parking on footpaths; reducing parking and charging a fair market

Wrong-minded modernization: rickshaw bans

2011-04-06T11:43:00.002+06:00

Wrong-minded modernization: rickshaw bans A new wave of rickshaw bans has just occurred in Dhaka. How appropriate were those bans? How sound are the arguments against rickshaws? The rickshaw has for decades been attacked by the media and others in Bangladesh as being slow, causing traffic jams and thus congestion, being an inhuman occupation for the pullers, and holding Dhaka back from

Rickshaw puller in Dhaka earns Tk 6,300 per month:

2010-05-02T15:58:00.006+06:00

Rickshaw puller in Dhaka earns Tk 6,300 per month: JICA study Hard-working rickshawpuller earns upto Tk 14,000 Munima Sultana An hard working rickshaw puller in the capital earns up to Tk14,000 a month --- eight times the basic minimum wages of a garment worker, a Japanese study on city's transport sector has revealed. Dhaka's half a million rickshaw pullers may be gaunt and emaciated but

Have any other cities of Asia become successful in solving transport problems by banning fuel-free transport (FFT)?

2010-02-22T12:59:00.000+06:00

Have any other cities of Asia become successful in solving transport problems by banning fuel-free transport (FFT)? It appears that we are going to commit the same mistake as General Suharto, the then-dictator of Indonesia did by banning rickshaws (locally known as becak) from Jakarta during the 1980s and thereby turning the city into a traveller’s nightmare. Be it total or partial fuel-free

world carfree day dhaka 2009

2009-09-29T16:05:00.005+07:00

জ্বালানী সমস্যা থেকে উত্তরণের জন্য সর্বপ্রথম ১৯৭০ সালে কারমুক্ত দিবস পালিত হয়। দিবসটি পালনের মূল উদ্দেশ্য প্রাইভেট কার নিয়ন্ত্রণে সচেতনতা বৃদ্ধি করা। পরিবহণ ব্যবস্থায় প্রাইভেট কার বৃদ্ধির মাধ্যমে যানজট, রাস্তাঘাটের নির্মাণ ব্যয়, দূষণ, জ্বালানীর ব্যবহার ও দূর্ঘটনা বৃদ্ধি পায়। এছাড়া বিনোদনের জন্য উন্মূক্ত স্থান ও শিশুদের খেলাধূলার জায়গা কমে আসে। দীর্ঘস্থায়ী নগর পরিবহণ

Call for restriction on growth of private cars

2009-09-27T01:19:00.008+07:00

Call for restriction on growth of private cars Green activists held a sit-in at Shahbagh in Dhaka on Monday, demanding restriction on the growth of private cars to end nagging traffic congestion in the capital. The government must check the growth of private cars and encourage launch of more buses on the roads to ease city’s traffic congestion, they said addressing the sit-in organised by Save

Saving the planet one step at a time

2009-09-18T00:47:00.010+07:00

Saving the planet one step at a time Have you heard of climate change? Temperatures are getting higher. Storms are getting worse. Ice is melting and sea levels are rising. Portions of the coast of Bangladesh are likely to go underwater, lost forever. Millions will become homeless. The ability of the earth to sustain people is threatened. Why is climate change happening? Because people are

Why not limit cars instead of banning cycle rickshaws, HC asks NDMC

2009-09-14T15:53:00.006+07:00

Why not limit cars instead of banning cycle rickshaws, HC asks NDMC Terming the approach to ban cycle rickshaws in parts of the city "unrealistic", the Delhi High Court on Wednesday slammed the New Delhi Municipal Corporation for not fixing a limit to the number of cars a person can possess. A division bench comprising Chief Justice A P Shah noted that the in place of regulation pollution, "the

Cycle Training in Dhaka: More than it appears

2009-09-07T22:22:00.010+07:00

Cycle Training in Dhaka: More than it appears Syed Saiful Alam For four hours a week, one section of a residential street in Dhanmondi comes to life with the shouts of playing children. Boys and girls, age five on up, are on bicycles—a few with training wheels, most without. Some are just learning, guided by a helping hand, while others ride confidently on their own, despite the child’s

save city parks and playgrounds.

2009-09-06T00:55:00.014+07:00

Save the Environment Movement (SEM) and WBB Trust form a human chain in front of Faculty of Fine Art on Dhaka University campus yesterday with a call to save city parks and playgrounds.Staff Correspondent Environmentalists at a human chain yesterday demanded the parks in the city be saved. They also demanded more open spaces and playgrounds to ensure sound physical and mental development of the

অর্থনীতি, জ্বালানী সঙ্কট ও রিকশা

2009-06-01T12:56:00.012+06:00

পরিবেশ বাচাঁও আন্দোলন (পবা)র একদল সেচ্ছাসেবক রিকশা বিষয়ক পেপার তৈরি করেছে। রাজধানী ঢাকার রিকশা চলচলের সুবিধা, সম্ভবনা, চলাচলে প্রতিবন্ধকতা, বৈজ্ঞানিক ভিত্তি, চলাচলের যুক্তিকতা, পরিবহন পরিকল্পনা, অর্থনীতি, পরিবেশ, রাজনীতি, সামাজিকতা, দারিদ্র বিমোচনসহ অনেকগুলো বিষয়ই উঠে এসেছে। তারপরও নেহাতই সময় সল্পতা, পেপারটির আকার নিয়ন্ত্রণ করার বাধ্য বাধ্যকতা থাকায় বেশ কিছু বিষয় বাদ দিতে হয়েছে। কিন্তু