Staff Reporter :
Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan has called for a complete overhaul of the legal framework and governance structure of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) to transform it into a people-centric and future-ready urban authority.
Speaking at a view-exchange meeting with Rajuk officials on Wednesday, Rizwana stressed the urgent need to redraft the Town Improvement Act and Building Construction Act, stating that minor amendments would no longer suffice. “These laws need to be re-enacted to match current urban challenges while retaining useful elements of the past,” she said.
Rizwana also criticised Rajuk’s existing board composition, which is heavily bureaucrat-driven. “Urban planning experts must be included, and Rajuk’s board should function through designated working groups to reflect diverse expertise,” she noted.
She raised concerns about the Rajuk chairman’s authority to convert residential properties into commercial use, calling such discretionary powers “a violation of the master plan.”
Highlighting the burden on Dhaka, the adviser stressed the need for decentralised services and more localized governance models. “Rajuk must determine whether it’s a regulator or a developer—it cannot be both,” she asserted. “It must focus on regulation, not elite housing schemes.”
Rizwana condemned land destruction in Purbachal, stating that housing provisions for ministers and MPs are unjustified. She advocated for housing only for the homeless and underprivileged, not the affluent.
She further urged Rajuk to develop comprehensive, area-based masterplans, regulate private housing projects, and resist political influence. “Rajuk must preserve the country’s architectural and cultural heritage,” she added.
Calling for Rajuk’s own office to be modern and eco-friendly, Rizwana said, “Every project needs an exit plan. Services should be digitalised, supervision outsourced, and audit mechanisms must involve external experts.”
She concluded by saying that urban quality of life must be Rajuk’s primary mission—one that reflects the aspirations of civil society and the needs of everyday citizens.
