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Tuesday | October 27, 2026 | Dhaka

Govt to turn Dhaka into modern city: Mosharraf

 New Nation
 Published: 12:00 AM, 22 September 2016

Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain yesterday said the government will turn Dhaka into a livable modern city.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina wants this and she is very sincere and liberal in this regard,” he said speaking as chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of ‘Fourth Urban Dialogue 2016’ at Dhaka University Senate Bhaban.
Urban NGO Forum, Bangladesh and DU Disaster Science and Management Department have jointly organized the two-day programme.
The minister said the government has undertaken a mega plan to free the Buriganga, the Shitalakkha and the Balu rivers from pollution to turn Dhaka into a modern city. Steps have been taken to discharge Dhaka’s sewerage water into the rivers after refining. Referring to Purbachal new city project, Mosharraf Hossain said Purbachal will be the country’s most smart city. The government has a plan to construct a 142-storey iconic tower at Purbachal, he added. The minister said the government is working to rehabilitate the slum dwellers and there will be no slum in Dhaka city in future.

Flats are being constructed through the National Housing Authority to be distributed among the slum dwellers on easy terms, he added. Referring to the government mega plan over Karail slum, he said there will be no slum at Karail. The slum dwellers would be rehabilitated to set up an ICT park on the Karail slum land, he added. The minister said the government is also developing planned residential areas at the upazila level to rehabilitate the slum dwellers outside the cities.
Work has already started in 70 upazilas and all other upazilas will come under the programme in phases, he added. Presided over by DU Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof. Nasrin Ahmed, the function was attended by Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Anisul Huq and Habitat for Humanity Director John Armstrong as special guests. Centre for Urban Studies (CUS) Chairman Prof. Dr. Nazrul Islam presented a keynote paper titled ‘Towards Healthy and Resilient Cities.’ Chairman of DU Disaster Science and Management Department Prof. ASM Maqsud Kamal and World Vision Bangladesh Director Fred Witteveen also spoke on the occasion.
Mayor Anisul Huq said the mayors of Dhaka and Chittagong are working hard to present the people with clean cities. The mayors will take tough actions to free footpaths from occupation, he said and urged all concerned to vacate the footpaths.