Origin of the report

This report titled Relocation of industry from Dhaka city to all over Bangladesh is prepared for fulfilling a requirement of Northern University B.B.A. Program. Dhaka is the capital city of Bangladesh and most of the larger industry are situated in this city, so for preventing environmental pollutions and make Dhaka city also free form more industry a relocation techniques is needed. To prepare the report as an apprentice we have taken necessary assistance from Tarana Aziza khan, the lecturer of Northern University Bangladesh who authorized the topic of this report.

Introduction: This will provide a brief introduction of the research topic.

Objectives of the study

Report is a most valuable way for earning practical knowledge of a professional degree. So, we have also some objectives of this report. The main objective of the report is to gather practical knowledge and experience on overall all categories of knowledge. The objectives behind the tour are mentioned below: . 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. To know the knowledge about process of relocation of industry. To study the actual activities of the company. To know the distribution system of a company. To know the promotional policy of the company. To identify the marketing problems of any company. To highlights on the industrial pollution in Dhaka city. To acquire practical experience a part institutional knowledge.

Methodology of the study

At the time of the preparing the report, we have followed several procedures. We know to complicate any kind of task; there is one best way. That is why we have followed a number of procedures for my knowledge. The methodology can be portrayed as below Personal observation Discussion with the concerned officer and employee of the related organization. Through the questionnaire.

Analysis of collected information.

Limitations of the study

Every project \Program has some limitations. This report is not free from short faults. While we were preparing this report we faced some problems. These are as follow: Time was not sufficient for preparing this report. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Collection data is very expensive. Production data is relatively applicable for related field. Time is not sufficient for such type research. Internet searching cost is so high. So we cannot collect huge information. My personal limitation to prepare the report. It is very difficult to discuss their marketing practices separately.

Definition of relocation
Relocation is the action of transferring a company's place of operation from one physical location to another. For small businesses, the act of relocating is often fraught with uncertainty, since the margin for error in companies with modest financial resources is so small. Indeed, the quality (or lack thereof) of a business relocation can be pivotal in determining the financial success or failure of all sorts of business ventures in a wide spectrum of industries, including retail, service, wholesale, and manufacturing efforts. Small businesses look to relocate for many different reasons. Some business owners turn to relocation as a last resort, a final effort to reverse the fortunes of a floundering business. These efforts rarely succeed, though the reasons vary from business to business. In many cases, the source (or sources) of the business's financial difficulties lie in areas other than physical location. Inadequate capital, poor management, flawed marketing plans, wasteful production processes, lousy work habits, and a range of other maladies may be more directly responsible for a company's anemic performance than its physical location. Of course, some small businesses struggle despite the presence of competent and hardworking management/ownership and sound business practices. In such cases, physical location might be a significant factor in the company's disappointing performance, and relocation could go far toward turning the business's financial fortunes around. But business experts note that relocation is generally an expensive process, and that small businesses that are struggling financially may find it difficult to stay afloat during this transition period.

Industrial Relocation
The essence of development is a process of utilization of the existing natural resources to produce goods or services for the people either in the form of finishing product or raw material. The utilization of natural resources creates many kinds of activities in business and industries. The activities have positive and negative effects, and if they are not managed in a good way they can disturb the environment. It is often happens that utilization of natural resources does not consider the principles of environmental preservation, so, it can cause effects to the environment. Generally people will be the first victim of the effects. For such reason people must be protected from effects caused by the pollution. Industrial activities must give much attention to environmental protection by choose appropriate location and carry out environmental pollution prevention. Considering the environmental concern, Dhaka city is trying to relocate the factories that are no longer unsuitable in the existing/previous location.

RELOCATION TRENDS
In recent years, business observers have pointed to a general trend in business relocations away from major metropolitan areas and toward small- and mediumsized communities. Certainly, some companies are limited in their relocation options by customer demographics and other factors, but many firms especially those established by entrepreneurshave forsaken large cities for smaller towns. Indeed, desires for quieter lifestyles away from pollution, crime, and other attributes often associated with large cities, coupled with the advances that have made telecommuting a reality, have led many entrepreneurs to relocate to more rural locations. But although such settings have many positive aspects in terms of so-called "quality of life" considerations, entrepreneurs and other small business owners still need to weigh the potential drawbacks of making such a move on their livelihoods. In addition, some entrepreneurs find that smaller communities do not provide the same level of services that can be found in larger cities. These inconveniences can range from troublesome ones like unreliable electric service (perhaps necessitating the purchase of backup generators), lack of overnight delivery services (Federal Express, etc.), and an absence of local access numbers for Internet service (which can force businesses to pay exorbitant long-distance telephone costs to access the Internet), to downright crippling ones, like a dearth of qualified workers .

Location needs of various business types

Small businesses will have different site needs that need to be considered when relocating, depending on their industryretail, service, wholesale, or manufacturingand their own financial and cultural factors. Whatever their area of business, however, small business owners need to make sure that they take the time to adequately examine all facets of a move. "A well organized site selection process should include research, planning, developing the transaction structure, analyzing the proposal, documenting the transaction, and negotiating for government incentives," When researching the merits and drawbacks of each potential relocation site, business owners to define each place by three primary measurements: specific location attributes, physical attributes, and occupancy cost parameters. "Specific location attributes might relate to transportation issues such as circulation patterns of surface streets and access to rail. Additional considerations would include corporate identity/image issues, attitudes regarding alternative government jurisdictions and any special utility needs for the proposed use Business consultants and small business owners who have successfully undertaken relocation efforts urge managers and owners of small enterprises to examine a long list of specific concerns before making any relocation decisions. A relocation based on knowledge, after all, is far more likely to succeed than one that is predicated on assumptions and hopes.

Description of the Dhaka City

Dhaka city is more than 400 years old. Over these years the population h a s i n c r e a s e d ma n y f o l d s . Li v i n g i n D h a k a i s n o t r e a l l y l i k e l i v i n g i n t h e c r a t e r o f a n active volcano but it is like living on a sleeping volcano which may erupt any time and engulf everything. Dhaka cites are not fully realizing what crisis is emerging for them. In 37 years of independence the capital of Bangladesh, the historic city which bears many symbols of national pride like Language Martyr monument, Monument for martyred freedom fighters, Historic relics of Mogul Dynasty unfortunately have become a concrete slum perspiring for fresh air& thirsty for pure drinking water. The dilapidated state of the city mirrors the poor state of affairs of the entire nation. The water of the rivers around the city is polluted; air is poisonous obnoxious particles, gas, electricity and water are getting scarce. At last 20%of the population is living in slums in inhuman condition. Cost of living has sky rocketed beyond normal peoples reach? This is not what the liberation war was fought. Our valiant freedom fighters did not make supreme sacrifice for a Dhaka city life like this. Many people talk of realizing the dreams of freedom fighters, much talk a b o u t i d e a l s o f l i b e r a t i o n w a r . B u t w e s h o u l d a l l b e a s h a me d f o r o u r f a i l u r e s a t o u r respective positions to serve the nation with commitment.

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Geography of Dhaka city

Dhaka City was established in the year 1608 along the bank of the river Buriganga and was made Provincial capital in the year 1905 with the total area of about 6 sq. km. In 1947 the city emerged as the provincial capital of the then East Pakistan. After independence in 1971, Dhaka became the capital of Bangladesh. Now the Metropolitan city of Dhaka has an area of 131 sq. km. Dhakas dominant feature is the small proportion of land which is permanently flood free. Virtually all flood free land close to Dhaka has already been developed. Dhaka City is located at a latitude of 23o 43 N and longitude of 90o 24 E. The climate is tropical with heavy rain and bright sunshine in the monsoon and warm for the greater part of the year. Annual rainfall is about 2,540 mm and humidity is about 80 %.

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Economic Situations of Dhaka city

The GDP growth of the country between 1991 and 1996 was 4.1 % per year. The agriculture sector grew at only 1.8 % whereas the industry and commercial service sectors at 5.6 % and 5.9 % respectively. Considering the relatively low potential growth of the agricultural sector in rural areas due to little expansion of arable land and the slow increase in productivity, future economic growth will depend more on the secondary and tertiary sectors, which are mostly provided in urban centers. Dhakas economic contribution is significant, although there is no official data or system to estimate the economic products at local government level. Considering that the garment industry contributed largely to the economic growth and with more than 90 % the manufacturers located in Dhaka, the per capita GDP of Dhaka is much higher than the national average. As Dhaka is a large urban agglomeration, the contribution of commercial and service sectors are also significant. With wellprovided economic and social infrastructures, Dhaka will be the engine of the economic growth in the country.

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Land Use and Infrastructure of Dhaka city

Urban Planning Department is in the process of preparing land use maps for 38 wards. Another study being funded by JICA is also preparing land use maps for Dhaka City. These maps will be utilized in the study at the later stage when these maps will be made available by DCC. The available residential land area is very scarce in Dhaka City. With the area of 131 sq. km Dhaka City has to accommodate more than 5.3 million people. Being capital of the country, central government offices, large educational institutions, hospitals exist in the city. Legally there was no designated place for disposal of solid wastes several years ago and public land was used for waste disposal. At present Dhaka City Corporation has acquired land at the outskirts of the city for disposal of solid wastes.

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Environmental Conditions of Dhaka city

According to an UNFPA report (Huda, Kitakyushu 2010), Dhaka is one of the most polluted cities in the world. Three major issues of concern are air pollution, water pollution and municipal waste. The research shows that Suspended particulate matter (SPM) and SO2 levels in Dhaka exceed 12 and 10 times of the World Health Organization standard respectively. A recent World Bank report (Huda, Kitakyushu 2010) claims four major cities in Bangladesh lose about 15,000 lives each year due to air pollution. In Dhaka City more than 3 million people do not have legal access to water supply. Only 41% of city population get continuous water supply. However quality of water is poor and the incidence of water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, jaundice, typhoid etc. is very high. Analysis of drinking water (World Bank, 2000) from different sources revealed that both the total and fecal coliform counts of the samples were unacceptably high. It has been reported that Buriganga contains soluble chromium, which causes cancer. The major source of chromium is the leather industries, most of which are situated along the river in Hazaribagh. The water bodies within and around Dhaka City are polluted mainly due to indiscriminate discharge of wastewater. About 45 % of populations are connected to separate or combined sewerage system and 11% of populations are connected to septic tank. Rest of the population discharges wastewater directly or indirectly to water bodies.

Industrial waste in the Dhaka city The lakes within the city are polluted. These water bodies often are loaded with human excreta, decomposable kitchen wastes, other non-decomposable wastes and industrial effluents. Disposal of solid wastes is another area of concern in Dhaka City. More than 3,000 metric tons of solid wastes are produced each day in Dhaka City, of which about 20 metric tons are from hospitals and clinics and contains small portion of hazardous wastes. These wastes, when dumped with other municipal wastes in the open land, pose serious threat to health of the citizens.
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Population in Dhaka city

The total population in Dhaka City grew from only 0.10 million in 1906 to 5.3 million in2001, according to the countrywide census carried out in the year 2001. The census population of Dhaka City in 2001. The rapid rise of population has been caused mainly by a large number of people migrating from rural areas. The average population density is above 400 persons/ha on average. In old Dhaka, most of wards exceed the average population density, while the northern part of the city has smaller density but has still more potential of population growth. With limited availability of flood free land areas in Dhaka City, further densification and haphazard encroachment to northern wards and peripheral areas are in progress

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Current situations of Dhaka city

Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) is responsible for collection, transportation and treatment of industrial solid wastes in Dhaka City. Because of resource constraints and many other reasons, the DCC in general has not been able to provide a satisfactory waste management system in Dhaka. The major sources of municipal industrial solid wastes in Dhaka are domestic, streets, market places, commercial establishments, clinics and hospitals. At present, Dhaka City generates about 3500 - 4000 tons of solid waste per day, the per capita generation being 0.5 kg/day. The density of solid waste is reported to be 600 kg/m3. There are over 1,000 small to large industries in Dhaka Metropolitan area disposing a significant amount of toxic and hazardous wastes contributing environmental degradation in and around Dhaka City. These industries mainly include chemicals, textiles, dying and printing, tannery, iron and steel, metal plastic, rubber and tobacco. Wastes from industries are dumped into the municipal bins and near-by low lying areas. There is no separate waste management system for industries. There are 149 tanning industries in Hazaribagh area in Dhaka producing 18,000 litres of liquid waste and 115 tons of solid waste during peak time and 75 tons during off-peak time. Liquid waste is dumped into the Buriganga river. Solid wastes are collected by the DCC and parts of these wastes are used by the scavengers. Wastes from tanneries contain sulphuric acid, chromium, ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride, calcium oxide which may seep into the groundwater. These wastes have adverse impacts on human being and can cause diseases like fever, headaches, respiratory and skin diseases. There are over 500 small to large clinics and hospitals in Dhaka City. Based on an inventory by the Directorate of Health, the present average clinical waste generation in hospitals and clinics is calculated using 1 kg/bed/day and extra 200 kgs a year for clinics. The calculation shows that about 20 tons of hospital wastes are generated in the city. About 20% of this total waste is infectious and hazardous. Hospital wastes are dumped to the nearest municipal bins indiscriminately. It is most likely that the waste collectors, neighbors and people will be infected from these materials. Moreover these dustbins are usually open. Therefore, spread of infectious organisms through various means from hospital wastes pollute the environment and increase the risk of infection diseases.
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Ready-made Garments industries

The ready-made garment industry in Dhaka city is not the outgrowth of traditional economic activities but emerged from economic opportunities perceived by the private sector in the late 1970s. Frustrated by quotas imposed by importing nations, such as the United States, entrepreneurs and managers from other Asian countries set up factories in Bangladesh , benefiting from even lower labor costs than in their home countries, which offset the additional costs of importing all materials to Bangladesh . Business flourished right from the start; many owners made back their entire capital investment within a year or two and thereafter continued to realize great profits. Some 85 percent of Bangladeshi production was sold to North American customers, and virtually overnight Bangladesh became become the sixth largest supplier to the North American market. After foreign businesses began building a ready-made garment industry, Bangladeshi capitalists appeared, and a veritable rush of them began to organize companies in Dhaka, Chittagong, and smaller towns, where basic garments--men's and boys' cotton shirts, women's and girls' blouses, shorts, and baby clothes--were cut and assembled, packed, and shipped to customers overseas (mostly in the United States). With virtually no government regulation, the number of firms proliferated; no definitive count was available, but there were probably more than 400 firms by 1985, when the boom was peaking. After just a few years, the ready-made garment industry employed more than 200,000 people. According to some estimates, about 80 percent were women, never previously in the industrial work force. Many of them were woefully underpaid and worked under harsh conditions. The net benefit to the Bangladeshi economy was only a fraction of export receipts, since virtually all materials used in garment manufacture were imported; practically all the value added in Bangladesh was from labor.

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Small and cottage industries

Small Industry means an industrial undertaking engaged either in manufacturing process or service activity whose total fixed investment excluding the prices of the land, expenses for inland transportation and commissioning of machinery appliances and duties and taxes , is limited to taka three crore i.e. Tk. 30 million (including initial working capital). In the case of BMRE, even of the total investment limit exceeds Tk. 30 million, it would still be considered as a small industry. However , the extent of extended investment for BMRE shall not be more than 50% of the total investment limit. Small Industries of the textile sector will enjoy similar facilities as those of small and cottage industries from the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation. BSCIC will continue its efforts in creating infrastructure facilities in the growth centers similar to those available in the industrial estates. In the regions, where there are no industrial estates, the relevant authorities on the recommendation of BSCIC, will provide infrastructural facilities to the small and cottage industries on a priority basis. Irrespective of the amount of investment, BSCIC will approve the plans and lay-outs of the buildings of all the industries situated in the BSCIC, industrial states and are their controlling authorities, but for the sake of expansion of small industries, no permission shall be granted for the establishment of any new large or medium industry in the BSCIC industrial estates.

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Traditional and other sectors Traditional Sectors

The industrial sector produces around 10 percent of GDP, and long-term national strategies in the late 1980s did not anticipate a major increase in that percentage. The greatest need and the greatest opportunities remained predominantly in the agricultural sector. Eastern Bengal was known for its fine muslin and silk fabric before the British period. The dyes, yarn, and cloth were the envy of much of the pre modern world. Bengali muslin, silk, and brocade were worn by the aristocracy of Asia and Europe . The introduction of machine-made textiles from England in the late eighteenth century spelled doom for the costly and time-consuming handloom process. Cotton growing died out in East Bengal , and the textile industry became dependent on imported yarn. Those who had earned their living in the textile industry were forced to rely more completely on farming. Only the smallest vestiges of a once-thriving cottage industry survived. At independence, Bangladesh was one of the least industrially developed of the populous nations. Annual per capita consumption of steel and cement was only about one-third that of India , for example, and electric power consumption per capita was less than one-fifth.

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Other Industries
Not all industrial growth in Dhaka city was stimulated by anticipation of foreign sales. The national economy stood to benefit equally from domestic production that could eliminate the need for imports of one kind or another. A good example of import substitution manufacturing was the pharmaceutical industry, a field that attracted both foreign and domestic investment in the first decade of independence, based on the large potential domestic market. The Drug Ordinance of 1982 introduced controversy and claims by foreign firms that they were victims of discrimination vis--vis local pharmaceutical firms. The foreign firms found that the ordinance restricted the kinds of drugs they could manufacture, import, and sell; specifically, foreign pharmaceutical firms could no longer manufacture drugs that Bangladeshi-owned companies were capable of producing. The difficulties foreign investors have encountered seem to have been limited essentially to this one industry, and even there the foreign firms already established have managed to cope more or less successfully. In 1988 one United States firm announced a decision to expand its Bangladeshi manufacturing operations by moving into production of highly specialized medicines with greater profit margins. Public sector corporations produced a substantial part of the country's paper and newsprint requirements, as well as carrying on sugar-refining operations at modestsized mills in several parts of the country. They also produced about 100,000 tons of steel per year, 1 million tons of petroleum products, and gasoline pumps, radios, television sets, bicycles, paints and varnishes, cement, and industrial chemicals.

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Relocation of industries from Dhaka city

Over the last decades there has been much debate about the impact of government subsidiaries to industries for relocation from Dhaka city. The discussions have been intense in the media as well as academic fields. While researchers, mostly with a focus on the manufacturing industries, have a pessimistic view of such government interventions, unsurprisingly, governmental investigations are more positive. The question of government aid is not addressed in this paper. We argue that the main factor that will maintain company operations in rural areas is sustainable high levels of productivity. There was no extra investment in the technology, nothing extra in education, the management and the organization was exactly the same, as were the products and market. The only changes were the move from the Stockholm city to the rural area, hiring eight new people, and improved facilities. The development of Dhaka makes our country becomes dynamic. Urban development in Dhaka city and relocate the industries make the city change dynamically in many aspects. The dynamic city development is the need of the people to improve their life. The problem is to control the development of the city so that it can be useful for society. The development of Dhaka provides improvement of urban activities, among others: industry, houses and services. Improvement of such activities in the city center can cause environment pollution. This phenomenon has been identified and is analyzed, so, as result, the industry activities have to move on to fringe area.

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Problems of Dhaka City

Bangladesh capital Historic Dhaka is fast turning into an inhabitable city. Air & water are saturated with poisonus elements, sound pollution reaching unacceptable l i mi t s , g a s e l e c t r i c i t y, a n d w a t e r s u p p l y c r i s i s l o o mi n g l a r g e , r a p i d d e p l e t i o n o f s u b surface water level making the city vulnerable to mild earth quake. Dhaka city is expanding in all direction east to west, north to south, population is increasing in geometric progression but the civic amenities cannot keep pace with the g r o w i n g d e ma n d . T h e c a p a c i t y of various utilities c a n n o l o n g e r me e t t h e r a p i d l y increasing demand. Supply of pure drinking water, safe accommodation for the growing population, appropriate sanitation, municipal waste collection, supply of electricity andgas for about 150 Million city dwellers are progressively turning into serious crisis. Int h i s s e r i o u s s i t u a t i o n t h e n e ws a b o u t Dh a k a c i t y a i r r e p o r t e d t o containing higher p r o p o r t i o n o f l e a d a n d C O m u s t b e c o n s i d e r e d v e r y a l a r m i n g . S e r i o u s n o i s e s , unacceptable sound level is causing hearing problem. In no modern cities these days the automobiles blow horns in the heart of the city. The water of rivers around Dhaka city is nothing but poison. Even WASA Water treatment plant in Sayedabad finding it very difficult to treat the poisonous water of Sitalakya. But the helpless shelter less people from villages and rural people are migrating to Dhaka compounding the problem still further. City dwellers are already affected with various contagious water borne disease. Dhaka has already turned into a slum of concrete.

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Air Pollution in Dhaka City due to over industries

Basically, there are two major sources of air pollution in Dhaka city industrial emissions and vehicular emissions. The industrial sources include brick kilns, fertilizer factories, sugar, paper, jute and textile mills, spinning mills, tanneries, garment, bread and biscuit factories, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, cement production and processing factories, metal workshops, wooden dust from saw mills and dusts from ploughed land, and salt particles from ocean waves near the and coastal lands. These sources produce enormous amount of smokes, fumes, gases and dusts, which create the condition for the formation of fog and smog. Certain industries in Bangladesh, such as tanneries at Hazaribag in Dhaka City, emit hydrogen sulphide; ammonia, chlorine, and some other odorous chemicals that are poisonous and cause irritation and public complaints. This may cause headache and other health problems. With increased rate of urbanization in the country, the number of vehicles is also increasing rapidly, and contributing to more and more air p o l l u t i o n . T h e D e p a r t me n t o f E n v i r o n me n t ( D O E ) , a n d o t h e r r e l a t e d o r g a n i z a t i o n s , h a v e identified the two-stroke engines used in auto rickshaws (baby-taxies), tempos,mi n i t r u c k s , a n d mo t o r c yc l e s a s ma j o r p o l l u t e r s . At p r e s e n t , t h e r e a r e a b o u t 65,000 baby-taxies among them more than 296,000 motor vehicles ply in Dhaka City alone. Moreover, overloaded, poorly maintained and very old trucks and mini-buses are also plying the city streets emitting smokes and gases. In fact about 90% of the vehicles that ply Dhaka's streets daily are faulty, and emit smokef a r e x c e e d i n g t h e p r e s c r i b e d l i mi t . D i e s e l v e h i c l e s e mi t b l a c k s mo k e , wh i c h contain unburned fine carbon particles. The air quality standards are different for residential, industrial, commercial, and sensitive areas. The worst affected areas in Dhaka city include: Hatkhola, Manik Mia Avenue, Tejgaon, Farmgate, Motijheel, Lalmatia, and Mohakhali.

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Surveys conducted between January 1990 and December 1999 showed that the concentration of suspended particles goes up to as high as 3,000 micrograms per cubic meter (Police Box, Farmgate, December 1999), although the allowable limitis 400 micrograms per cubic meter. The sulphur dioxide in the air near Farmgate was found to be 385 micrograms per xubic meter,wher as the maximum permissible limit is 100 micrograms per cubic meter air near. Similarly, in the TejgaonIndustrial Area the maximum concentration of suspended particles was 1,849micrograms per cubic meter (January 1997), as opposed to the allowable limit of 5 0 0 mi c r o g r a ms p e r c u b i c me t e r . U s u a l l y t h e ma x i mu m c o n c e n t r a t i o n o f a i r pollution in Dhaka is during the dry months of December to March. Also many Report states that at peak hours Dhaka air at Motijheel Commercial Area has been found to contain 100 ppm of Carbon Monoxide, the sound levelreaches 80 decibels. The report also indicates that the water of Buriganga River contains alarming amount of organochloric compound which may cause cancer like DDT or may obstruct Endocrine (causing genetic problems leading to menturning women) .A survey of the Environmental Chemistry Department of theU n i v e r s i t y e v i d e n c e d t h a t t h e w a t e r o f B u r i g a n g a a t h a l f a kilometer of Hazaribagh Tannery contains about 28ppm c h r o m i u m w h i c h i s e x t r e m e l y dangerous. Usually Buriganga water contains 6-10 ppm Chromium. The wastes of T a n n e r i e s a t Ha z a r i b a g h a r e r e s p o n s i b l e f o r t h i s me n a c e . A c c o r d i n g t o t h e guidelines of World Health Organization (WHO) water must not contain morethan 1 ppm of Chromium. This alarming level of Chromium in River water whichin many ways used for human consumption is causing serious threat for humanlife in the city. But unfortunately Rajuk and Dhaka City Corporation are doingnothing to mitigate this menace. We have a Department of Environment (DOE) we have a very active Civil Society but wonder why this very alarming situationis escaping every ones attention. We understand the tanneries from Hazaribaghwi l l b e r e l o c a t e d s o o n t o o u t s k i r t s o f Dh a k a b u t i f t h e w a s t e s a r e n o t t r e a t e d properly and disposed off carefully these will continue to pollute another water stream.
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Industrial pollution making Dhaka city inhospitable

The volume of poisonous particles in the city air has reached far beyond the permissible level for human body in recent years.The Dhaka city dwellers are always at a serious health risk due to the highly polluted air,warned health experts.T h e i n c r e a s i n g l y h i g h c o n c e n t r a t i o n o f t o x i c e l e me n t s i n t h e a i r i s c a u s i n g a f o g g y blanket in the city sky at present, according to the experts of Air Quality ManagementProject (AQMP) under the Department of Environment (DoE).The AQMP, which has been monitoring the air quality of the city since 2002, has recentlylunched a website to inform the people about the air quality on daily basis.The website reveals that the air quality of the city is lethal for human body especiallyduring winter and post winter.The AQMP advised the city dwellers to stay indoors as much as possible during this timeto avoid health hazards from the pollution.According to the website, poisonous carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide,suspended particulate matter (PM-10) and particulate matter (PM-2.5) exist in Dhaka's air beyond permissible level for human body. Due to increase of PM-10 and PM2.5, people lose lung function and suffer from chronicrespiratory and cardiovascular diseases while nitrogen dioxide increase risks of bronchitisand pneumonia. Nitrogen dioxide causes respiratory infection.C a r b o n m o n o x i d e r e d u c e s d e l i v e r y o f o x yg e n i n t o t h e h u ma n b o d y , c r e a t e s s e v e r e headache and decreases visual perception and manual dexterity.Permissible limit of PM10 is 65 micrograms per cubic metre and for PM-2.5 it is 150micrograms per cubic metre. The implementation of the ban on twos t r o k e t h r e e - w h e e l e r s i n 2 0 0 3 m a d e s o m e temporary progress in reducing toxic elements from the air but has been marred by thefunctioning of old motorised vehicles and the brick kilns around the city.F a u l t y v e h i c l e s a r e t h e l a r g e s t s o u r c e o f a i r p o l l u t i o n . On l y t h e d i e s e l - r u n v e h i c l e s contribute about 60 per cent of such particles in the air, surveys of the AQMP revealed.At least 70 per cent of the diesel-run vehicles, mainly buses and trucks, are emitting toxic p a r t i c l e s b e yo n d t h e p e r mi s s i b l e l i mi t . B r i c k k i l n s i n t h e n o r t h e r n e d g e o f t h e c i t y contribute at least 20 per cent to the air pollution.There are 4,000 brick kilns
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around the city, which use tyres, wood and low-quality coal,emitting poisonous particles into the air. But no initiative has been taken yet to measurequantity of poisonous particles emitting from brick kilns.The chimneys of the brick kilns made higher than 120-feet is not a solution to reducingthe air pollution, said the AQMP officials. The government banned running of buses more than 20 years old in the city but failed tokeep those vehicles out of the city.T h e h e i g h t o f b r i c k k i l n c h i mn e ys h a s b e e n i n c r e a s e d t o r e d u c e a i r p o l l u t i o n b u t t h e initiative failed as the government failed to ensure quality of fuel used in the kilns.Mohammad Nasiruddin, Director of the AQMP, said: "Phasing out of the diesel-run oldand faulty vehicles could reduce air pollution to half in the city."

Pollution industry-made
Industries got a whacking yesterday as experts and environmentalists maintained that rivers around Dhaka are getting polluted wholesale by industrial waste. Even industries with effluent treatment plants do not run those facilities. The capital's sewage is also mostly untreated and dumped into the rivers as the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) has very few waste treatment facilities. The pollution situation is even compounded as no single entity has the complete authority to deal with the pollution that has already rendered the Buriganga biologically dead and threatened the existence of three other rivers-Turag, Balu and Shitalakhya. The experts recommended immediate setting up of a high-powered "national river authority" in the style of the Ganga Commission and Hooghly Commission in India to deal with the pollution of the four rivers that surround Dhaka. There is already the National Coordination Committee on Environment but it has not had a meeting since 1997 and become ineffective. They also said actions must be taken immediately to stop industries from polluting rivers. The Daily Star conference room became a buzzing place for brainstorming yesterday morning as over a dozen experts and environmentalists along with State Minister for environment Mustafizur Rahman and Industries Minister Dilip Barua met at a roundtable titled "River Pollution: How to Save Our Rivers". The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam moderated the roundtable.
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Managing Director of Dhaka Wasa Shahjahan Ali Mollah revealed how inadequate Wasa facilities are to treat sewage and said the raw waste is dumped into the rivers, which has in turn rendered the river water unusable. He said loads of medicines are being used to treat water at the Sayedabad water treatment plant and even a newly undertaken plant would serve as a temporary solution to the problem. Another big World Bank project to build a treatment plant for industrial waste will only solve 10 percent of the problem. He admitted that unless major programmes are taken to stop industrial pollution Dhaka would face a severe water crisis in the near future. Chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Md Abdul Mannan Howladar mentioned that his organisation has little power to free the rivers from encroachment. And BIWTA's dredging capability is ruefully inadequate--it only has seven dredgers that were bought about 35 years ago. He said dredging is a must to augment flow in the rivers around Dhaka but pollution has accumulated so thick in the Buriganga that normal dredgers are ineffective and BIWTA does not have specialised dredgers. Chief Conservancy Officer of Dhaka City Corporation Muksudur Rahman Chowdhury said the tanneries must be relocated from the city's Hazaribagh to save the rivers. He said waste collection in the growth centres outside, which fall under union parishads, have to be strengthened to stop pollution of the rivers. Industries Minister Dilip Barua said industries do not have social responsibility to care for environment and often they do not operate their effluent treatment plants. He affirmed that industrialisation must take care of all environmental concerns. He said installation of effluent treatment plants will be made compulsory for industries and efforts will be taken to expedite disposal of a case that has stuck relocation of the tanneries from Hazaribagh. Chief Executive of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) Syeda Rizwana Hasan said the usual threat of industries that workers would lose job should not deter the authorities from taking action against polluters. Professor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) Dr ABM Badruzzaman said he had found that most industries with effluent treatment plants do not run them. Moreover, Wasa dumps sewage just a little away from its
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own intake plant. He mentioned that Wasa covers only 30 percent of the city with sewage network and the treatment plant can treat only 20 percent of the sludge. Buet Professor Mujibur Rahman said the Shitalakhya and Balu rivers must be saved first and for that industries and environment ministries have to take up a five-year plan and start working right away. He said industrialisation at the pollution control zone of Shitalakhya must be stopped. Prof Mujibur pointed out that storm sewage lines bring solid waste to the Buriganga and these lines must be diverted to the Pagla sewage treatment plant. He said unless pollution could be stopped, funds for water treatment plants would be unavailable. Khawaja M Minnatullah, a World Bank environment specialist, said water in the rivers around Dhaka is so polluted today that the Syedabad water treatment plant has virtually become a wastewater treatment installation. He maintained that pollution from Hazaribagh tanneries have permanently polluted the shallow aquifer of the city. He said Dhaka city is approaching a public health crisis and even bottled water will not be safe enough for drinking because of the amount of background pathogen. Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, additional secretary to the information ministry and former convenor of the government instituted river pollution mitigation committee, cited the example of the Singapore river and said it was also a dead river with pollution but it was rejuvenated in 10 years. With concerted efforts the rivers around the Buriganga could also be brought to life in course of time.

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Industrial pollution
It is a matter of utmost concern that many industrial units in the country keep releasing toxic gas and chemicals into the environment, to the peril of human health, crops and aquatic resources. What is supremely ironical is, while the owners of these industrial units as responsible citizens contribute significantly to the growth of the economy and generation of employment opportunities, they prefer to remain indifferent to the vital issue of environment pollution and the resultant damage to eco-system. It is mainly industrial pollution which left the rivers of Dhaka city biologically dead, as 60 percent of the total effluents dumped in the rivers are industrial wastes while the rest are household wastes. Pollution of the city rivers has reached such a level that the groundwater system, where aquifers are recharged from riverbeds, is also being contaminated. Although the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act (ECA) clearly prohibits pollution of rivers, and makes it mandatory to set up Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP) for certain categories of industries, but no success has been seen yet. According to the Department of Environment (DoE) statistics, there are around 7,000 industries in and around the capital, around 200 of which have ETPs, but many of them do not use the plants in order to maximize profit by cutting the cost of running those. According to the Environment Conservation Rule 1997 under ECA, every industry of certain categories must have in-house ETPs, otherwise they would not get environmental clearance from DoE, which is mandatory for getting power and gas supply. The pollution that has set in the rivers Buriganga, Turag, Balu and Shitalakkhya has made it almost impossible to treat their water. The overall situation suggests it could not be any graver. Repeated notices of the DoE protests from environmentalists, warnings from environment experts, and the High Court's directives for the government to stop pollution of rivers -- nothing could refrain industrialists from their vile practice of dumping effluents in the rivers.

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While industrialization is necessary to boost our economy and create employment opportunity, it is equally essential that factory owners obey the laws and install protective measures of international standard. It is time for the relevant ministries and departments to enforce anti-pollution laws, especially in the industrial field. It is at the time of issuing licenses for industries that the applicants should commit themselves to stringent environmental criteria before they are authorized to set up units. Then, there should be oversight bodies to monitor their performance from time to time.

Traffic, air to get better if factories relocated

Hundreds of unauthorized factories in the inner-city areas must be relocated to improve the capital's traffic congestion and pollution levels, claim experts. Professor Nazrul Islam, a noted urban researcher, said, Relocating the garment and tannery industries will significantly help improve the city's messed-up transport situation. A survey relating to Dhaka's Detailed Area Plan (DAP) shows 12,206 manufacturing industrial buildings occupy 1,528 square kilometres in the area under Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan (DMDP). This contravenes DMDP (1995-2015), which clearly prohibits any industrial buildings in the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) area since it was approved in 1997. Over two million garment workers are also living within the DMDP area. Nazrul Islam, also chairman of University Grants Commission, claims this figure is too high. Dr Ishrat Islam, assistant professor of urban and regional planning at Buet, said relocating factories will not only relieve the capital's congested roads, but will also provide the workers with better living standards. She said the foremost reason behind the garment workers' unrest is the deplorable standard of living in shanty towns. She urges the government to establish industrial parks with housing, educational and medical facilities. Professor Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, a noted civil engineer and transport expert, said most of the industrial workers travel to work along the main roads on foot. As there is often no designated pedestrian footpath, this contributes to traffic congestion.
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Faruque Hassan, vice-president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), told The Daily Star at a workshop on November 1 that at least 1,000 of 4,800 BGMEA members operate factories at the heart of the city. We want to relocate the units out of the capital. But we cannot get gas or electricity supplies outside, he said. Shaheen Ahmed, president of Bangladesh Tanners Association, said 65,000 workers are employed at 194 tanning units at the city's Hazaribagh tannery estate. The High Court ruled that tanneries must be shifted to Savar by February 2010, and the industries ministry has handed over 154 plots to the tanners there. However, the tanners are asking for more time to negotiate with the government on compensation. According to a DAP survey, 526 industrial units were set up in the DMP area between 1997 and 2005. AKM Alamgir Kabir Dewan, who did his master's thesis at Buet on industrial distribution and trends, said until 2005, there were 1,120 industrial units in the DMP area, while the number of those set up in the DMDP area between 1997 and 2005 was 998. DMDP earmarks Savar municipality, Dhaka EPZ, Gazipur and Tongi as special incentive zones for industrialisation. Abdul Kader Chowdhury of the Public Works Department division-2 (Dhanmondi) said a government survey found that 147 residential plots in Dhanmondi have been turned into commercial premises, while 261 are being partially used for commercial purposes. Delwar Hossain Dulal, vice-president of Gulshan Society, said there are at least 100 factories in Gulshan's residential area. An unauthorised industrial unit is set up in connivance with DCC, Rajuk, Desa, Wasa and Titas Gas officials, he said. DCC has not issued any fresh trade licences in designated residential areas since 2007, following the caretaker government's decision to halt new trade in those areas. Prof Sarwar Jahan, president of Bangladesh Institute of Planners, said the DMDP structure plan deems industries and factories in the areas in or near the centre of Dhaka city unacceptable. Environmentalist Prof Muzaffer Ahmad said Dhaka's 1954 master plan was designed to protect the residential areas from commercial and industrial invasion. But it has failed in its purpose
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Hazaribagh leather industry and slums in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has a very limited stock of known mineral resources (only natural gas is being extracted commercially), and the economy is heavily dependent on smallscale agriculture. Agriculture accounts for about 40 per cent of Bangladesh's GDP and about 60 per cent of employment. Landless small farmers and as well as urban informal groups constitute 50 per cent of Bangladesh's population. Fifty three per cent of rural population is virtually landless and the result of that a very large percentage of urban populations live in slums. For example 30 per cent of the population (about 2 million) in Dhaka lives in more than 1500 slums and squatter settlements, where density of settlements is over 6178 persons per hectare and per capita living space available is lower than one square meter. The structural conditions of the shelters are one of the worst in the world. The settlements live without open space, streets, water, gas and electricity, water, sanitation and sewerage facilities. Since these settlements are illegal the Government or International Aid Agencies have hardly any project to improve living quality of the poorest population of the country. Like many other cities of the developing countries the population of Dhaka city increased by almost 200 per cent in seven years (1974-81) due to the increasing developments of landless peasants. The present economic development increasingly widens the gap between the poor and the rich. The limited agricultural land does not allow any further expansion along with the fast expanding population of working age. In view of this problem the Government of Bangladesh is planning for a rapid increase in industry, commerce and services (55.7 per cent of GDP). At present industrial manufacturing accounts for about 10 per cent of GDP in Bangladesh and 10 per cent of total employment, and contributes about three-quarters of total merchandise exports. The earliest industries in Bangladesh were based primarily on agricultural products like jute, sugarcane, tobacco, forest raw materials, and hides and skins. During the mid-sixties a modern industrial base emerged as heavy industries like steel, machine tools, electric machines, diesel plants, refineries, pharmaceutical plants and other chemical industries were set up. From 1985 to 1990 the industrial sector achieved an average annual rate of growth of 4.02 per cent.
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In recent years, the major source of industrial growth has been in textiles, with ready-made garment manufacture expanding from insignificance in the 1970s to the leading export earner today. Leather tanning and brackish water shrimp farming have also expanded rapidly and are expected to grow further. With the increase of unplanned and socially and environmentally degraded industries Bangladesh poses a new challenge. Pollution and human-induced hazards are particularly serious in the developing nations, because industrial production is heavily concentrated in one or two city regions or 'core regions' within each nation. The industrial areas in Bangladesh are situated in the midst of densely populated regions. There are many hazardous and potentially dangerous polluting industries situated in the cities of Bangladesh. In Dhaka at Tejgaon area, food processing industries are situated along with chemical and heavy metal processing industries. In Tongi a pharmaceutical industry is situated near a pesticide producing industry. Tannery industries of Hazaribagh also situated in a heavily populated residential area. These examples are repeated in the cities of Chittagong, Khulna and other smaller cities of Bangladesh. The Government of Bangladesh has not shown much interest in environmental impact created by the industries, whereas government's concern to create jobs usually meant that when a new factory is proposed by local, national or international business or agency - little attention is given to the likely environmental impacts.

Hazaribagh leather industry and slums in Bangladesh

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Tannery relocates from Dhaka city

Tanneries in the city's Hazaribagh area discharge some 21,600 square meters of liquid wastes everyday. "These harmful wastes, including chromium, lead, sulphur, ammonium, salt and other materials, are severely polluting the capital city and the river Buriganga THE much-talked-about relocation of the tanneries from Hazaribagh in the capital to the proposed leather estate at Savar is still in limbo, with tannery owners blaming bureaucratic tangles for the unusual delay in the process. They are also bargaining hard with the government for compensation and other facilities. There are 149 tanneries at Hazaribagh and they pour thousands of litres of untreated and highly toxic liquid wastage into the Buriganga river everyday, posing a serious health hazards to human beings and animals. In view of the tremendous environmental and health hazards, the government had taken up a project in 2003 to relocate the tanneries to Savar on the city's outskirts. As compensation for the relocation, tannery owners are demanding that the government should give them 7.0-8.0 per cent of the relocation costs -- Tk 54 billion -- as grants and loans. They want half of the amount as grants. The tannery owners have placed their demands with the government through a report jointly prepared by BangladeshFinished Leather and Leather Goods Exporters' Association, BangladeshTanners Association, and Leather Goods and Footwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association of Bangladesh. The demands also include making the 'leather estate' a special economic zone with all the facilities enjoyed by the export processing zones (EPZs), provision for easy exit of the 'weak' tanneries from the leather industries and special loan rescheduling facilities for other viable factories. The government provided the tannery owners with Tk 1.25 billion for making roads, earthwork and electrification in the proposed area at Savar. Still they are in need of Tk 25 billion. If the government denies the owners financial support, it will not be possible for them to make the 'leather estate' a special economic zone, said a spokesman of the tannery owners association. Being apprised of the present state of the government and the High Court order to relocate the tanneries to Savar from Hazaribagh, a parliamentary body recently observed that it might not be possible to relocate the tanneries within the stipulated time given by the High Court. It said legal and financial complexities over setting
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up of a central effluent treatment plant (ETP) have been raised and these could delay the move. Earlier, the High Court ordered relocation of the tanneries within February 28 next year and asked to shut down the tanneries that fail to move. About 3,000 tones of solid waste and 0.25 million tones of liquid waste generated by tanneries every month are being dumped into the rivers without any treatment. Under such dreadful circumstances, there is an immediate need for taking legal actions against tanneries causing serious environment pollution. If necessary, the tanneries should be shut down as per the law. The Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) appeared also concerned about the legal and financial complexities of the relocation. The corporation said the tender process to set up the central ETP at Savar at a cost of Tk 4.0 billion was yet to complete as one bidder filed a case with a court. About financial complexities, the BSCIC said as per the initial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the government and the tanners association, the government was supposed to bear the expenditure for setting up the central ETP. The MoU was reviewed during the last caretaker government that incorporated a new provision asking the tanners association to repay the cost in the next 20 years. The owners, however, refused to share the cost saying most of them are not capable of paying for the central ETP. A recent inter-ministerial meeting at the industries ministry discussed the pros and cons of the project implementation issues in order to find ways so that the government could complete the relocation procedure in time. At the meeting, the industries ministry sought recommendations and suggestions from other ministries and stakeholders in the project work. The ministry also set the time frame for shifting the tannery plants to the Savar leather industrial estate (LIE). According to the time frame, the government is scheduled to hand over the LIE to the tanners by 2010. However, according to industry sources, the pace of project implementation and tender invitation procedure suggested that it would be difficult for the government to hand over the LIE to the tanners on schedule with all utility services and the central effluent treatment plant in place. However, industry experts believe, escalation of the project cost by almost five times is the main cause of the delay in the project implementation. A new project needs to be planned at the escalated cost, replacing the present one. The complex procedure for inviting fresh tender for the central waste treatment plant is taking
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too long a time, they said. Earlier, tannery businessmen had predicted that the relocation of the tanneries from Hazaribagh to Savar would take several years since the authorities were facing various complications in acquiring and setting up the effluent treatment plant as well as due to reluctance of tannery owners. The government had prepared the first project proposal in 2003. The estimated cost of the three-year project was Tk 1.75 billion that later shot up to Tk 5.45 billion in the revised project document in 2007. According to an industries ministry source, the project cost has been escalated by almost five times this year. For that matter, new development project proposal (DPP) needs to be prepared with the escalated cost replacing the old one, which obtained government's approval recently. The complex procedure for inviting fresh tender for the treatment plant is taking too long a time. As has been said earlier, the government's indecision in establishing a waste treatment plant has been delaying the relocation of leather industries from Hazaribagh to Savar. The authorities have cancelled an international tender in January 2007 due to price escalation of the proposed effluent treatment plant. After that the authorities could not make any headway to invite fresh tender for setting up the plant. The pace at which the project works and tender invitation procedure were moving suggests that it would be difficult for the government to hand over the estate having all utility services and waste treatment plant in place on schedule. Many analysts are accusing the tannery owners for their 'rigid' stand. They said the owners need to understand the fact that tanneries should no more be allowed to operate from their present location, both for environmental and health reasons. The Buriganga has to be saved at any cost and the residents of Hazaribagh must be relieved of their present predicaments. If not in Hazaribagh, the families of the tannery owners do also reside in Dhaka city, which, if made unlivable through pollution of all sorts, they and their families would also suffer. The government, while reviewing the situation with the leaders of the tannery owners' association on financial and environmental issues, should try to convey the message that the relocation move is aimed at salvaging the city not only for the present generation but also for posterity.
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Toxic tannery waste posing health risk Factory relocation stuck in red tape
Buriganga river posing serious threat to human health as relocation of the factories is caught in bureaucratic tangle. Reluctance of the owners to move those flouting High Court orders is also delaying the process. The HC directives, demands of the civil society and campaigns by the media have all gone in vain as the tannery owners and the government have been blaming each other for not taking action in this regard. In June 2009, the HC expressed frustration over industrial pollution, and observed that the government has not taken any step to prevent pollution by industries. The court in its judgement ordered the authorities concerned to complete relocation of the leather industry to Savar by February 28, 2010. Failing to do so, the government had filed a petition with the HC seeking two more years for the job. The HC then extended the time till August 28 the same year asking the industries ministry to submit a report within six months on the actions taken to move those out of the city's residential areas. But the government again failed to do the job and kept on seeking more time from the court every six months. "We're trying our level best. But I'm not sure when they will be relocated," said Mahbubur Rahman, project director of Savar Leather Estate of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), who is also responsible for implementing the relocation. Asked why they are taking so much time, he said, "It took nearly one year to complete the technical evaluation of the central effluent treatment plant (ETP) and submit it to the government. "But surely, things are progressing. We've recommended four ETPs with five million cubic metres of toxic waste treatment facilities for 155 industrial units." The relocation process started nearly 10 years ago following a HC verdict in 2001. The government undertook a project to develop the leather estate at Harinbari in Savar at the cost of Tk 500 more than five years ago. The estate, however, remains unused and empty.
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Sources say the relocation is being delayed as the government and the tannery owners could not reach any consensus about compensation and bank loan. Even the project director is unaware about the compensation and loan issues -- two major demands of the tannery owners. The polluters who earn around Tk 1,600 crore by exporting leather goods remain adamant demanding compensation of Tk 1,090 crore from the government along with soft loan and readymade central ETPs at taxpayers' money. "We're asking Tk 1,090 crore in compensation. But we haven't heard anything from the government yet," said Shahin Ahmed, president of Bangladesh Tanners' Association. Now the government proposes for sharing the cost of setting up the central ETPs, which will require more than Tk 300 crore. "But we signed a memorandum of understanding in 2003 with the government, and the government agreed to set up ETPs at its cost," said Shahin. He also said they demand the compensation, as they will have to build new infrastructures and repair machinery that will be damaged during relocation. Although the environmental protection laws require the tanners to set up ETPs in their factories, they never did so causing serious environmental peril. The residents of the city's western part continue to suffer from adverse effects of pollution caused by tanneries in Hazaribagh, Dhanmondi, Basila, Kamrangirchar and surrounding areas. The dreadful stink of the tanneries can be smelt from miles away in residential areas like Rayerbazar and Zigatola. Hazaribagh tanneries, an export-oriented cluster of industries, produce some 20,000 cubic metres of toxic waste laden with chromium and at least 30 other toxins every day. The toxic waters flow into the Buriganga through the Rayerbazar sluice gate. Locals allege they frequently require treatment for skin diseases, fever, cough, gastroenteritis, asthma and diabetes. A tanner said the major obstacle to the relocation is that most of the land and property is mortgaged against bank loans. Until the banks release the mortgaged property, it is impossible to move their factories (P. Roy, May 28, 2011).

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Planning Dhaka as a Global City

Cities and city regions are practically observed to be the engines of economic growth in the age of globalization. Cities and their regions thus diversely play important roles in national and international contexts. City provides opportunities for economic growth and development and quality life for its population and services to its outside areas, sometimes exceeding the national boundaries. Globalization has, however, created both opportunities and threats for the survival of cities. To become an active partner in the process of globalization, cities with their regional economic strengths require preparing them with their potentials and removing weaknesses. As a capital city, Dhaka has potentials for becoming a global city with its geopolitical location and economic prospects. It has political and administrative advantages in the national context and scope for utilizing the benefits of urban economics, especially agglomerations, concentration of labor and financial institutions, and business services. The physical growth of the city is, however, associated with many-faceted problems which has to be addressed in its planning and development processes in order to bring functional efficiency of a modern city. The city must be developed in a planned manner to benefit from global market and international investment. The research recommends that Dhaka and its city region should overcome the current weaknesses to utilize its full potential to attract businesses and investments in the future. Dhakas physical development and economic growth management must be considered together in order to becoming a global city playing dynamic role in the global market in future. Dhaka has experienced a noticeable economic growth in the recent period, but as a capital city it has potential to gain more from globalization. To perform at a higher level in the global market, Dhaka as a city has its weaknesses and problems. Though a Master Plan was made for Dhaka City in the late 1950s and later in the mid 1990s a large area was brought under Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan (DMDP), there is no denying the fact that the city has largely grown in an unplanned manner. The city and its region lack attractions to get large scale investment from foreign entrepreneurs. However, with appropriate planning interventions, the capital city may overcome its weaknesses substantially, if not fully.
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This is, where we require employing our attention and sincere efforts to make Dhaka a more efficient city to play a greater role in national and international contexts. This paper aims to explore the opportunities that globalization offer for large cities and their regions in developing countries in terms of economic growth and development. Simultaneously, it examines Dhakas problems, potentials and future prospects of becoming a global city. In doing so, how a better planned Dhaka city may contribute more in an overall development in the future, has been critically appraised. Methodologically, the research has been based mainly on published literature and documents to understand the role of a mega city in the global market and where Dhaka stands in that pursuit.

Dhaka city is Going on a Sleeping Volcano

Time is fast running out. We must wake up from hibernation, mobilize our efforts and resources and do everything possible to remedy the situation. We need national consensus to meet the challenge; we need very focused and committed planners and work force. We need active participation of all citizens .If country like Thailand can do it , if Vietnam can do it , then there is no reason we can overturn the tide and make our Capital a nice and beautiful city. Quoting a PHD research paper of Jahangir Nagar University one leading daily of Bangladesh in its main headline printed a very alarming report. Bangladesh capital Historic Dhaka is fast turning into an inhabitable city. Air & water are saturated with poisonous elements, sound pollution reaching unacceptable limits, gas electricity, And water crisis looming large, rapid depletion of surfave water level making the city vulnerable to mild earth quake. In this situation sensible citizens of Bangladesh and Bangladeshis abroad must not keep their fingers crossed and must pull together all the resources to make appropriate plan to save the historic city from emerging crisis. We can not let our dear city to remain in crisis for ever. We must c rise above political divide to join the fight to save Dhaka.

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Report states that at peak hours Dhaka air at Motijheel Commercial Area has been found to contain 100 ppm of Carbon Monoxide, the sound level reaches 80 decibels. The report also indicates that the water of Buriganga River contains alarming amount of organochloric compound which may cause cancer like DDT or may obstruct Endocrine (causing genetic problems leading to men turning women) .A survey of the Environmental Chemistry Department of the University evidenced that the water of Buriganga at half a kilometer of Hazaribagh Tannery contains about 28ppm chromium which is extremely dangerous. Usually Buriganga water contains 6-10 ppm Chromium. The wastes of Tanneries at Hazaribagh are responsible for this menace. According to the guidelines of World Health Organization (WHO) water must not contain more than 1 ppm of Chromium. This alarming level of Chromium in River water which in many ways used for human consumption is causing serious threat for human life in the city. But unfortunately Rajuk and Dhaka City Corporation are doing nothing to mitigate this menace. We have a Department of Environment (DOE), we have a very active Civil Society but wonder why this very alarming situation is escaping every ones attention. We understand the tanneries from Hazaribagh will be relocated soon to outskirts of Dhaka but if the wastes are not treated properly and disposed off carefully these will continue to pollute another water stream. Dhaka city is expanding in all direction east to west, north to south, population is increasing in geometric progression but the civic amenities can no t keep pace with the growing demand. The capacity of various utilities can no longer meet the rapidly increasing demand. Supply of pure drinking water, safe accommodation for the growing population, appropriate sanitation, municipal waste collection, supply of electricity and gas for about 150 Million city dwellers are progressively turning into serious crisis. In this serious situation the news about Dhaka city air reported to containing higher proportion of lead and CO must be considered very alarming. Serious noises, unacceptable sound level is causing hearing problem. In no modern cities these days the automobiles blow horns in the heart of the city. The water of rivers around Dhaka city is nothing but poison. Even WASA Water treatment plant
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in Sayedabad finding it very difficult to treat the poisonous water of Sitalakya. But the helpless shelter less people from villages and rural people are migrating to

Dhaka compounding the problem still further. City dwellers are already affected with various contagious water borne disease. Dhaka has already turned into slum ofconcrete. Dhaka city is more than 400 years old. Over these years the population has increased many folds. The city did not have appropriate maser plan. DIT master plan of pre liberation days could not be appropriate for a capital city. Moreover after independence all activities were concentrated in Dhaka. The other cities like Chittagong, Khulna, and Rajshahi were not given proper attention . For Higher education, Health Care, Business and Job Opportunities people from all over the country flooded the city. Very corrupt and mis manged public sector utility companies never made appropriate perspective planning. The gas, electricity, water infrastructures can not support the increasing demand. In many city suburbs which are basically meant for domestic dwelling have turned into commercial and mini industrial areas. Hundreds of Ready Made Garments and other small industries in Malibagh, Moghbazar, Mohdpoor, Meerrpoor, Mohakahlai, Bonani areas have created enormous pressure on the utility supply infrastructures. The situation in Old Dhaka areas is more pathetic. Unless the city suburbs are freed from this undesirable mushroom industrial growth this situation can not be remedied. Ready Made Garments (RMG) is our major export earner. It should be relocated in a planned manner to the outskirts of Dhaka as soon as possible. It was reported in the recent past that Meghnaghat area is possibly going to be the relocated location. Instead of concentrating in one place it may be relocated in other direction also .Another hub for RMG and other small industries can be set up in Gazipoor Area and a third one on the other side of Buriganga.also. If only the RMG and Tanneries moved out of the City about 2 million people will be relocated and Dhaka city utility services will be relieved to a great extent. Off course appropriate utility infrastructures and accommodation facilities in relocated areas must be built. The adjoining districts of Dhaka like Narayanganj, Manikganj, Munshiganj, Gazipoor, Tangail, Mymensingh, Norshingdi, and Comilla must be developed appropriately so that people get attracted to live there. The road train communication must be improved so that people can move to and fro from these districts to work in Dhaka. Head quarter of some government offices must be moved out to the divisional
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Head quarters like Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet, and Barishal.Serious thoughts must be given to water pollution of Turag, Buriganga and Siatalakhya rivers. The research report indicates that proportion of suspended solids, turbidity, color, total alkalinity, acidity, total hardness , dissolved oxygen , COD, BOD,CO2 , NH3,Nitrate, Coli form in the river water around the city are many times higher than the acceptable limit. The report termed the Buriganga water as silent killer. To address this situation we have no way but to be very harsh with the industries which are polluting the rivers. Government must form a task force to monitor the waste treatment of all industries. The committee may have representatives of Rajuk, DCC, DOE, University Teachers and Ministry of Environments. If any industry can not meet the environment standard that industry must be closed. All citizens around the rivers must be conscious and alert and must encourage all to keep river waters free from pollution. Another serious problem is sound pollution. Dhaka city does not have enough roads to accommodate about 1 million mechanized transports. The transport owners have very little respect for traffic rules. Traffic jam, smoke emitting old transports, high sound blowing horns makes life of city dwellers unbearable on every working day. City desperately needs underground and overhead transportation. If we could have city circular road and rail and metro and sky train's people could have more comfortably used public transports. A poor country like Bangladesh would not have so many motor vehicles if we remained honest. Government may declare that some areas of city centre on a given radius would be out of bound of motorized vehicle from 10AM till 5 PM. The only transport will be rickshaws and bicycles. People must learn to work. The train movement with in the city areas to Kamlapoor must also be restricted from 6PM to 6AM. Beyond these hours all trains bound for Dhaka must terminate journey at Tongi, Uttara or Cantonment station. Railway must have their own NGV buses to move the commuters in to city areas from Uttara, Tongi and Cantonment stations. The sound level in residential area must not exceed 45 Decibel but in no residential area it is less than 70 decibel. For industrial area the limit is 80decibel but it is hardly less than 120 decibel in Dhaka. Sound pollution has reached alarming level .It has already become unbearable for our children, for our elderly people. Dhaka is among the 6 cities of South Asia which by 2010 will be included as 2o
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mega cities of the world. The other cities are Kolkata, Bombay, Delhi, Karachi and Lahore. Each of these cities has population of more than 15 million.

These cities other than Dhaka have already taken up massive redveloppent and infrastructure up gradation. But in Dhaka everything is moving in unplanned way. We are thinking big, talking tall but doing very little. We are having regular seminars, symposiums and making thousands of recommendations but everything for us is crisis management. When India was divided in 1947 into Pakistan and India Dhaka had a population of 2 lakhs only. In 1971 its population was 1million. Now in 37 years it has grown to 13 million. In 61 years since 1947 the population has grown 65 times. The unitary system of government has concentrated admintration, trade and commerce, industrialization in Dhaka. But the road infrastructures, utility infrastructures, sanitation etc never planned to meet the growing demand. Every other mega cities have city circular roads, sky roads, much improved sanitation and drainage system. Slums are also a curse and menace for Dhaka. Even Kolkata is developing much better than Dhaka. Being situated at the centre of flood plain Dhaka experience devastating flood almost every year. The rivers around Dhaka are silted due to lack of drainage, city canals are filled out by grabbers. Even mild showers cause water logging. After 1988 flood 300 KM city protection dam was built. But for some reason only 18KM in the eastern part was not built. Consequently 55Sq KM area in the east remains vulnerable to flooding. Surface water treatment facility is inadequate. Massive drainage of subsurface water has caused drawdown of water table. Landslide and earth quake catastrophe may not be ruled out. We must immediately take up the following actions. Free the Buriganga, Siatalakhya, Turag rivers from illegal occupants. Move Secretariat to Shere Bangla Nagar. Various ministries may be relocated to Different areas of the city and some to other divisional head quarters. This will ease traffic congestion of Motijheel Area. Free all residential areas from commercial and industrial units. Ban all kinds of untreated waste disposals to the rivers and water wa ys. Undertake massive dredging to increase holding capacity and maintain all season
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navigability of the rivers. Recover and regenerate the city Canals to retrieve the drainage of water to manage water logging. Set up recycled Water Treatment plants and pipe these for industrial use. Built City Circular Road and Energy Ring main around the City.

Build Metro (Underground Rail) and sky rail whichever suits our condition. Take out Dhaka Cantonment military establishment out of the city at Gazipoor . The residential accommodation of army families can remain there. This will create lot of option to ease traffic congestions. Dhaka Cantonment alone creates an obstacle to free flow of traffic from Gazipoor to the City Areas. Gradually relocate Kamlapoor Railway outside the city towards Gazipoor. However shuttles may run from Gazipoor to future city circular rail junction. Allow only CNG vehicles to move within the city area. Introduce the method of municipal waste disposal and management well practiced in other modern cities. City dwellers have National ID cards. The domestic wastes must be disposed in identified bins that may be allocated for each property owner or those living on rent. There can be separate bins for recycles, kitchen wastes and garden refuses like any modern city. DC may allocate a particular day of the week to lift the wastes from different locations and then the wastes may be either recycled or used for power generation. The above actions will require huge investment. If government can ensure proper regulatory mechanism and transparency in management many private sector developers may be interested. For all these we will need very strong Metropolitan Governance under City Corporation., a 20 year Master plan for the mega city and very committed managerial capability. Can our future generation live in a modern mega Dhaka City?

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A plan to make Dhaka city free from chaos

A city of the size of Melbourne, Australia is nearing the population of entire Australia. Serious gas, electricity, water crisis, massive traffic congestion, water logging after mild to moderate rain, air pollution, noise pollution, mosquito menace, deteriorating law and order situation, etc., off and on stall city life to a virtual standstill in Dhaka. Government after government talk of remedial measures but fail to do anything. Rather unplanned growth and development complicates situation and compounds problem. Rivers around the city are almost dead, city canals are nonexistent. We know about these problems. Let us not look back .Let us see what can be done to confront the crisis at hand. Present government is committed to digital Bangladesh. In this modern age of technology boom is it necessary that all government ministries should remain confined in one place at Bangladesh secretariat? Much of the congestion of Dhaka city will be eased if government ministries can be spread over and across Dhaka's suburbs and adjoining districts. Narayanganj, Savar, Keraniganj and Gazipur can be ideal locations for relocating several ministries. Only the ministries of defence, finance, planning, home, information and foreign affairs can retain their offices in Dhaka and other ministries may be moved out in phases to places outside Dhaka. These ministries can be connected via fibre optic cables and secure VPN... then we are talking about a really digital Government of Bangladesh (GoB). Energy and power, communication, forest and environment, food and agriculture ministries can go to Gazipur, port and shipping, textile, jute and industry can go to Narayanganj, health, education, labour and manpower, science and technology, youth and sports can go to Savar. Commerce, land and cultural affairs ministries can be relocated to Keraniganj. Why can not the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) affairs ministry be based at Rangmati? These ministries can be connected via fibre optic cables and secure VPN. Once relocated after setting up infrastructures the existing facilities of these ministries can be appropriately used.
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Then gradually all garments factories, leather and other polluting industries must be moved out of Dhaka to specific locations. Major portion of garments industries can go to Keraniganj and Gazaria. Garments pally (village), leather industry to leather complex at Nabinagar. Government must clean residential areas like Dhanmondi, Banani, Gulshan, Uttara, Malibagh, and Lalbagh from all kinds of commercial activities. It is appropriate time to relocate BDR headquarters and army headquarters to appropriate places outside Dhaka. These two establishment situated in congested city areas are causing serious bottlenecks for traffic movement. Wonder why democratic government cannot take such decisions. What useful purpose these establishments are serving to national cause occupying busy areas in Dhaka city. Why Dhaka Cantonment cannot go to Gazipur and BDR Headquarters to Keraniganj? Simultaneous to above actions, government must connect Narayanganj, Savar, Gazipur and Keraniganj with Dhaka through elevated express highways and fast moving railway. Some multistoried parking facilities must be set up in city centres. More long body NGV buses should be introduced and all old polluting vehicles, slow moving human haulers, mini taxi cabs must be removed as soon as possible. Fifty per cent of city congestion and 50 per cent load on city utilities will be relieved from taking these measures. In the meantime, government must move positively to free city canals and city surrounding rivers of unauthorised occupations, save rivers from pollutions, undertake massive dredging and excavations to retrieve navigability. City circular rail, road and river communication must not remain a dream any more. We should do everything possible to confine Dhaka's population to below 10 million under any circumstances. Otherwise, whatever we do and whatever we plan nothing will work to improve traffic congestion and serious energy crisis. The Prime Minister chairs Cabinet meetings regularly. These meetings occasionally must also be held outside Dhaka to address the problems there. Government must try to cut down its size. It must not involve in day to day business of state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
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Governments role must be confined to policy making and auditing performance of SOEs. SOEs must run corporate business commercially and be governed by their board of directors. Private sector must be the driving force. Independent regulators must regulate all businesses through transparent policies. It is unfortunate to accept that our loving city Dhaka city is the dirtiest and noisiest capital city of the world. We must act positively rising above all political divide to rescue Dhaka from current unbearable situation. If major government offices including BDR and army installations can be moved out of Dhaka in phases as suggested and if RMG and leather industries can also be relocated, we can gradually make Dhaka habitable for all and return to old lovely Dhaka that we can all take pride on.

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Industrial pollution making Dhaka city inhospitable:

The volume of poisonous particles in the city air has reached far beyond the permissible level for human body in recent years. The Dhaka city dwellers are always at a serious health risk due to the highly polluted air,warned health experts.T h e i n c r e a s i n g l y h i g h c o n c e n t r a t i o n o f t o x i c e l e me n t s i n t h e a i r i s c a u s i n g a f o g g y blanket in the city sky at present, according to the experts of Air Quality ManagementProject (AQMP) under the Department of Environment (DoE).The AQMP, which has been monitoring the air quality of the city since 2002, has recentlylunched a website to inform the people about the air quality on daily basis.

The website reveals that the air quality of the city is lethal for human body especiallyduring winter and post winter.The AQMP advised the city dwellers to stay indoors as much as possible during this timeto avoid health hazards from the pollution.According to the website, poisonous carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide,suspended particulate matter (PM-10) and particulate matter (PM-2.5) exist in Dhaka's air beyond permissible level for human body. Due to increase of PM-10 and PM-2.5, people lose lung function and suffer from chronicrespiratory and cardiovascular diseases while nitrogen dioxide increase risks of bronchitisand pneumonia.
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Nitrogen dioxide causes respiratory infection.C a r b o n m o n o x i d e r e d u c e s d e l i v e r y o f o x yg e n i n t o t h e h u m a n b o d y , c r e a t e s s e v e r e headache and decreases visual perception and manual dexterity.Permissible limit of PM-10 is 65 micrograms per cubic metre and for PM-2.5 it is 150micrograms per cubic metre.T h e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f t h e b a n o n t w o - s t r o k e t h r e e w h e e l e r s i n 2 0 0 3 m a d e s o m e temporary progress in reducing toxic elements from the air but has been marred by thefunctioning of old motorised vehicles and the brick kilns around the city.F a u l t y v e h i c l e s a r e t h e l a r g e s t s o u r c e o f a i r p o l l u t i o n . On l y t h e d i e s e l - r u n v e h i c l e s contribute about 60 per cent of such particles in the air, surveys of the AQMP revealed.At least 70 per cent of the diesel-run vehicles, mainly buses and trucks, are emitting toxic p a r t i c l e s b e yo n d t h e p e r mi s s i b l e l i mi t . B r i c k k i l n s i n t h e n o r t h e r n e d g e o f t h e c i t y contribute at least 20 per cent to the air pollution.There are 4,000 brick kilns around the city, which use tyres, wood and low-quality coal,emitting poisonous particles into the air. But no initiative has been taken yet to measurequantity of poisonous particles emitting from brick kilns.

The chimneys of the brick kilns made higher than 120-feet is not a solution to reducingthe air pollution, said the AQMP officials. The government banned running of buses more than 20 years old in the city but failed tokeep those vehicles out of the city.T h e h e i g h t o f b r i c k k i l n c h i m n e ys h a s b e e n i n c r e a s e d t o r e d u c e a i r p o l l u t i o n b u t t h e initiative failed as the government failed to ensure quality of fuel used in the kilns.Mohammad Nasiruddin, Director of the AQMP, said: "Phasing out of the diesel-run oldand faulty vehicles could reduce air pollution to half in the city."

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DCCI for four industrial zones around Dhaka

The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) urged the government to set up four industrial zones around Dhaka to decongest the city, during a meeting with Industries Minister Dilip Barua. The chamber leaders call for efforts to fix energy and transportation problems and reduce banks' lending rates for rapid industrialization. They said the absence of technological know-how is the main constraint to achieving industrial goals. The observations came when the newly elected board of directors of the chamber led by its president Asif Ibrahim met the minister at his office, said a statement. DCCI proposed to relocate Old Dhaka's shoe factories and readymade garments manufacturing units in two separate industrial parks outside the city. Separate industrial parks for the units could be set up in Sonakanda in Keraniganj, said Ibrahim. The chamber sought government initiative to develop infrastructure, solve energy crisis, lower bank's lending rates, reform tariff structure, and improve communication systems for industrial growth. The minister said negative politics and propaganda are the key barriers to the country's economic progress. We need to work together with positive mentality to achieve industrialization. Barua said the bank's lending rate should be single-digit to ensure industrial growth, which is around 13 percent currently. Relocation of existing industries from Old Dhaka is under consideration of the government, he added. Ibrahim said the government could use a public-private partnership framework to fix infrastructure problems and power crisis. He emphasized the capacity building of National Productivity Organization, Department of Patent Development and Trademark and Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institution. It is also the right time to think over the decentralization of industrial establishment, which will ease the load of Dhaka city, said Ibrahim.

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200 industries told to relocate outside Dhaka

The government has so far directed around 200 industries considered responsible for environment pollution to relocate outside the capital and a process is underway to serve notices on another 19 industries. State Minister for Environment and Forest Hasan Mahmud yesterday in a scripted answer to lawmakers' queries informed the House about the government's move to shift industries outside the city in phases. Of the industries, 132 are situated in Hazaribagh while 46 are in the city's residential areas. The government is working to shift tanneries from Hazaribagh by February 28, 2010 in line with the High Court (HC) directives, the state minister said. He said the government has already issued notices to eight industries asking them to compensate for environment and river pollution. A process is underway to serve notices on another 40 industries who should compensate for damaging environment, the state minister said in his scripted answer. He said the government is also working to ensure setting up of central Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) by June 30, 2010 in line with the HC order. On saving water bodies, the state minister said the government has taken initiatives to amend the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act 1995 to stop filling up water bodies. He said the draft proposal to amend the act has already been sent to the cabinet division. On behalf of the state minister for environment and forest, State Minister for Land Advocate Mostafizur Rahman informed the House that the government would take actions against the forestland grabbers in Bhawal area.
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Recommendation
In this modern age of technology boom, is it necessary that all government ministries should remain confined in one place -- the Bangladesh Secretariat? Much of the Dhaka city's congestion will be eased if government ministries can be spread over and across its suburbs and adjoining districts. Narayanganj, Savar, Keraniganj and Gazipur can be ideal location for relocating several ministries. Only the ministries of defence, finance, planning, home, information and foreign affairs can retain their office in Dhaka and other ministries may be moved out in phases to places outside Dhaka. These ministries can be connected via fibre optic cables and secure virtual private network (VPN). This is more so because then we are talking about a really digital Government of Bangladesh (GoB). The ministries of energy and power, communications, forest and environment, food and agriculture can go to Gazipur, port and shipping, textile, jute and industry can go to Naraynganj. Likewise, the ministries of health, education, labour and manpower, science and technology, youth and sports can be moved out to Savar; commerce, land, and cultural affairs to Keraniganj. Why the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) affairs division or ministry cannot be based at Ranagmati? All these ministries can be also connected via fibre optic cables and secure VPN. Once relocated after setting up infrastructures, the existing facilities of these ministries can be appropriately used. Gazipur, Savar and Narayanganj can have better road and other communications. E-Governance can then be put in place. Then gradually, all garments factories, leather industry and other polluting industries must be moved out of Dhaka to specific locations. A major portion of readymade garments RMG) industries can go to Keraniganj and Gazaria Garments pally (garments village), leather industry to leather complex at Nabinagar. The government must clean residential areas like Dhanmondi, Banani, Gulshan, Uttara, Malibagh, and Lalbagh from all kinds of commercial activities.

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It is appropriate time to relocate the Border Guard and Army Headquarters to appropriate places outside Dhaka. These two establishments, situated in the capital city, do at times cause serious bottlenecks, directly or indirectly for traffic movement. We wonder why democratic government can not take and implement such decisions. What useful purpose such establishments are serving to the national cause, occupying such large areas in the capital city? Why can not Dhaka Cantonment be moved to Gazipur and the Border Guard Headquarters to Keraniganj? Simultaneous to such actions, the government should take appropriate moves to help connect Narayanganj, Savar, Gazipur and Keraniganj with the capital city through elevated express highways and fast moving railway. Some multi-storied parking facilities must be set up in the city centres. More long-body natural gas vehicles (NGV) buses should be introduced and all old polluting vehicles, slowmoving human haulers and mini-taxi cabs must be removed as soon as possible. Fifty per cent of city congestion and also 50 per cent load on city utilities will be relieved from taking of such steps. If major government offices including the border guard and army installationscan be moved out of Dhaka in phases and if RMG and leather industries can also be relocated, we can gradually make Dhaka habitable for all, and return to the old lovely Dhaka that we can all take pride on.

54

DCCI for four industrial zones around Dhaka

The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) urged the government to set up four industrial zones around Dhaka to decongest the city, during a meeting with Industries Minister Dilip Barua. The chamber leaders call for efforts to fix energy and transportation problems and reduce banks' lending rates for rapid industrialization. They said the absence of technological know-how is the main constraint to achieving industrial goals. The observations came when the newly elected board of directors of the chamber led by its president Asif Ibrahim met the minister at his office, said a statement. DCCI proposed to relocate Old Dhaka's shoe factories and readymade garments manufacturing units in two separate industrial parks outside the city. Separate industrial parks for the units could be set up in Sonakanda in Keraniganj, said Ibrahim. The chamber sought government initiative to develop infrastructure, solve energy crisis, lower bank's lending rates, reform tariff structure, and improve communication systems for industrial growth. The minister said negative politics and propaganda are the key barriers to the country's economic progress. We need to work together with positive mentality to achieve industrialization. Barua said the bank's lending rate should be single-digit to ensure industrial growth, which is around 13 percent currently. Relocation of existing industries from Old Dhaka is under consideration of the government, he added. Ibrahim said the government could use a public-private partnership framework to fix infrastructure problems and power crisis. He emphasized the capacity building of National Productivity Organization, Department of Patent Development and Trademark and Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institution. It is also the right time to think over the decentralization of industrial establishment, which will ease the load of Dhaka city, said Ibrahim.

55

200 industries told to relocate outside Dhaka

The government has so far directed around 200 industries considered responsible for environment pollution to relocate outside the capital and a process is underway to serve notices on another 19 industries. State Minister for Environment and Forest Hasan Mahmud yesterday in a scripted answer to lawmakers' queries informed the House about the government's move to shift industries outside the city in phases. Of the industries, 132 are situated in Hazaribagh while 46 are in the city's residential areas. The government is working to shift tanneries from Hazaribagh by February 28, 2010 in line with the High Court (HC) directives, the state minister said. He said the government has already issued notices to eight industries asking them to compensate for environment and river pollution. A process is underway to serve notices on another 40 industries who sh ould compensate for damaging environment, the state minister said in his scripted answer. He said the government is also working to ensure setting up of central Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) by June 30, 2010 in line with the HC order. On saving water bodies, the state minister said the government has taken initiatives to amend the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act 1995 to stop filling up water bodies. He said the draft proposal to amend the act has already been sent to the cabinet division. On behalf of the state minister for environment and forest, State Minister for Land Advocate Mostafizur Rahman informed the House that the government would take actions against the forestland grabbers in Bhawal area.
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Replying to lawmakers' queries, Land Minister Rezaul Karim Hira said the government would take measures to stop building of structures on farmland.

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