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Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Adviser Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called for a united, non-partisan effort to address Dhaka’s long-standing waste management and urban challenges, saying the capital can only become a cleaner and more livable city through collective action.
Speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled “Urban Waste Management is Everyone’s Responsibility” at the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) headquarters in Gulshan-2 on Wednesday, he said political differences should be set aside for the greater good.
“We do not want to see Awami League, BNP, Jatiya Party or Jamaat-e-Islami when it comes to building a better Dhaka. We want to see a united Bangladesh where everyone works together as responsible citizens,” he said.
The seminar was chaired by DNCC Administrator Mohammad Shafiqul Islam Khan.
Fakhrul said Dhaka remains among the world’s least livable cities and warned that the situation cannot be transformed overnight by any single individual or institution. He noted that city corporations have limited authority, while poor coordination among agencies such as RAJUK, WASA and the power utility often results in repeated road excavations, especially during the monsoon season.
He stressed the need to bring the city corporation under a stronger institutional framework with greater authority to coordinate and oversee other service agencies.
The adviser also expressed concern over the severe pollution of the Buriganga and Turag rivers, recalling that their waters were once clean and vibrant. He said groundwater levels have fallen alarmingly, prompting a project to bring 500 million litres of water daily from the Meghna River to Dhaka.
He warned that the capital cannot be saved unless the Buriganga, Turag, Shitalakkhya rivers and the city’s natural canals are restored by removing encroachment and pollution.
Fakhrul said laws and government initiatives alone would not solve the problem, emphasizing the need for greater public awareness. Referring to the discipline people show due to AI-based traffic monitoring in cantonment areas and at traffic signals, he said citizens should demonstrate the same responsibility by disposing of waste properly.
He added that environmental awareness should begin with children in primary schools and kindergartens and spread to every household.
“Over the past 50 years, we have held countless seminars and workshops, but the real task is simple: ‘I will keep my city clean,'” he said.
The seminar was also attended by Local Government Minister Mir Shahe Alam, State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque, RAJUK Chairman Engineer Riazul Islam, and senior officials of the city corporation.