The Urbanization Challenge And Role Of Municipalities In Bangladesh (Hardcover)

The limited availability of urban facilities, services and public utilities in Bangladesh overwhelm me and prompted me to write this book. Bangladesh has been experiencing an unprecedented urhan growth during the last fifty years which is projected to continue over the next fifty years. It is well recognized that urbanization has been key to the country's rapid economic growth. However, to sustain this progress, the existing urban areas will have to be managed well. A reorientation of the development paradigm will have to be brought about taking physical space as a principal determi nant of economic development in future. However, cities need not be seen only as 'engines
of growth'. Instead, we should now consider them to be 'engines of inclusive growth. All aspects of urbanization starting from urban planning, financing. governance, coordination and management functions should all be taken up consciously to achieve "growth with equity". The SDG 11 included in the Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for maximizing the return from urban investment for the urban community as a whole. The City Corporations and Paurashavas must optimise tax revenue income by properly assessing the properties of those who benefit from rapid urbanization, and spend a good part of it for the disadvantaged population. The government need to think about developing a national policy for urban and regional development to ensure balanced development of the country with rational distribution of budgetary resources.
The urban centres must by ready with necessary infrastructure, housing facilities, utility services, educational and health facilities to welcome the continuous flow of people from rural to urban areas. The traditional rural development focused investment which consumes a lion's share of the budgetary resources will have to be replaced with massive investment in urban infrastructure, land development, water and sanitation, creating industrial zones, schools, park and playgrounds. In this endeavour, the role of urban local bodies should be seen as central in fulfilling the planning and development of cities and towns in Bangladesh.