Urban development in Bangladesh

[Homo Sapiens]

Home City
12:00 AM, July 12, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 02:24 AM, July 12, 2017
Ecnec approves Tk 3,250cr expressway for Cittagong airport

Staff Correspondent

A 16.5-kilometre elevated expressway connecting Hazrat Shah Amanat International Airport with Lalkhan Bazar-Muradpur flyover has been approved for Chittagong city.


The four-lane expressway with a price tag of Tk 3,250 crore was approved yesterday by the Ecnec (Executive Committee of the National Economic Council) in a bid to ease traffic congestion and reduce travel time to and from the airport in the country's second largest city.


As part of this project, by 2020, the under construction flyover from Muradpur to Lalkhan Bazar will be extended upto the airport, explained a planning ministry official.

The planning ministry in its proposal argued for the new expressway by mentioning that around 40 lakh people now live in Chittagong -- the country's prime export-import hub. With nearly one lakh inhabitants being added to the population each year, the city's traffic situation is worsening day by day.

Meanwhile, during yesterday's meeting, the Ecnec turned down a proposal for the development of Jagannath University (JnU) in the capital.


Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal following the meeting said while presiding over the meeting, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, chairperson of the Ecnec, issued a directive asking to build a complete campus for the JnU at Keraniganj near the capital with all necessary amenities including residential halls.

Nasrul Hamid, state minister for power, energy and mineral resources, was given a week for the task of finding and informing the planning ministry of a suitable piece of land at Keraniganj for the JnU campus, said a planning ministry official.

The Ecnec yesterday gave its nod to a total of nine projects -- including the elevated expressway in Chittagong -- worth Tk 6,393 crores.
http://www.thedailystar.net/city/ecnec-approves-tk-3250cr-expressway-ctg-airport-1431790
@Bilal9 @Species @Philia @Khan saheb

 

[Arthur]

Home City
12:00 AM, July 12, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 02:24 AM, July 12, 2017
Ecnec approves Tk 3,250cr expressway for Cittagong airport

Staff Correspondent

A 16.5-kilometre elevated expressway connecting Hazrat Shah Amanat International Airport with Lalkhan Bazar-Muradpur flyover has been approved for Chittagong city.


The four-lane expressway with a price tag of Tk 3,250 crore was approved yesterday by the Ecnec (Executive Committee of the National Economic Council) in a bid to ease traffic congestion and reduce travel time to and from the airport in the country's second largest city.


As part of this project, by 2020, the under construction flyover from Muradpur to Lalkhan Bazar will be extended upto the airport, explained a planning ministry official.

The planning ministry in its proposal argued for the new expressway by mentioning that around 40 lakh people now live in Chittagong -- the country's prime export-import hub. With nearly one lakh inhabitants being added to the population each year, the city's traffic situation is worsening day by day.

Meanwhile, during yesterday's meeting, the Ecnec turned down a proposal for the development of Jagannath University (JnU) in the capital.


Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal following the meeting said while presiding over the meeting, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, chairperson of the Ecnec, issued a directive asking to build a complete campus for the JnU at Keraniganj near the capital with all necessary amenities including residential halls.

Nasrul Hamid, state minister for power, energy and mineral resources, was given a week for the task of finding and informing the planning ministry of a suitable piece of land at Keraniganj for the JnU campus, said a planning ministry official.

The Ecnec yesterday gave its nod to a total of nine projects -- including the elevated expressway in Chittagong -- worth Tk 6,393 crores.
http://www.thedailystar.net/city/ecnec-approves-tk-3250cr-expressway-ctg-airport-1431790
@Bilal9 @Species @Philia @Khan saheb

Good. But in my opinion they should invest in metro rails & subways, instead of these giant monstrosities, that eats up the roads underneath it.

 

[Homo Sapiens]

Good. But in my opinion they should invest in metro rails & subways, instead of these giant monstrosities, that eats up the roads underneath it.

I think metro rail project in Chittagong will be undertaken after completion of current metro work in Dhaka.Govt. will not step towards a second metro when first one is still incomplete.But I think,this elevated expressway is also necessary.VIP foreigners certainly will not ride to metro or those who drive their own car.Access to airport should be maintain by multiple means.

 

[Homo Sapiens]

 

[Bilal9]

New pictures courtesy of Jason Kazi....

Bashundhara Group Mansion

Mosque/Madrasa under construction, Bashundhara

Bashundhara Group Workers Community

Bashundhara Group Mansion

Bashundhara Group Mansion

Baridhara Central Park

Hatirjheel / Tejgaon-Gulshan Link Rd Area

Gulshan Lake Ghat

Gulshan-1 near Circle

Gulshan-2 North near Park

Gulshan-2 near Pink City

Six Seasons Hotel rooftop

Dutch Club

 

[Bilal9]

Hatirjheel area

Gulshan Residential Area

Tejgaon

Karwan Bazaar

Dhanmandi

 

[Bilal9]

Airport road to Uttara model town

Uttara

 

[Bilal9]

Dhaka, Bangladesh by ASaber91, on Flickr


Dhaka, Bangladesh by ASaber91, on Flickr


Dhaka, Bangladesh by ASaber91, on Flickr


Dhaka, Bangladesh by ASaber91, on Flickr


Dhaka, Bangladesh by ASaber91, on Flickr


[URL='https://flic.kr/p/Wsiaex']
Dhaka, Bangladesh by ASaber91, on Flickr


Dhaka, Bangladesh by ASaber91, on Flickr[/URL]


Shanta Forum One, Tejgaon-Gulshan Link Rd

16 storied level office building with 2 levels of underground parking with 227 spaces

 

[Banglar Bir]

Dhaka retains 4th least livable city position in Global Livability Index

• Adil Mahmood
• Published at 12:21 AM August 17, 2017

Dhaka, a city of 16m population, has long benn considered as one of the worst managed city in the world Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune
The city scored 38.7 out of the ideal score of 100, unchanged since 2011
Dhaka city has retained its fourth least liveable city position among 140 cities in the world in this year’s Global Livability Index.

Infogram
Dhaka is only ahead of Tripoli of Libya, Lagos of Nigeria and Damascus of Syria.

View image on Twitter

Follow
The EIU Cities @TheEIU_Cities
The top 6 shifts in #liveability according to the latest ranking released today: http://eiu.com/liveability #Liveability17

The capital of Bangladesh moved two steps up last year from 137th to 139th. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit-endorsed index, Dhaka was the second least livable city in the world in 2014 and 2015.

The city scored 38.7 out of the ideal score of 100, unchanged from last year’s. Dhaka has stuck in the same score since 2011.

On stability, Dhaka scored 50 while in healthcare, the score is 29.2, culture and environment 43.3, education 41.7 and infrastructure 26.8.

The rating, part of the Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, quantifies the challenges that might be presented to an individual’s lifestyle across five broad categories of stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.

The EIU Cities @TheEIU_Cities
#SriLanka #Colombo among biggest improvers during five years: Global Liveability Report http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/colombo-among-biggest-improvers-during-five-years-global-liveability-report/ …#Liveability17

Colombo among biggest improvers during five years: Global Liveability Report
Aug 16, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s main commercial city Colombo is among the five biggest improvers during the last five years in terms of liveability, recently released Global Liveability Report 201…
lankabusinessonline.com

Melbourne in Australia remains the most liveable of the 140 cities surveyed for the seventh consecutive years, followed by the Austria’s Vienna.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/banglad...ast-livable-city-eiu-global-livability-index/

 

[Mage]

WB's proposal to develop Dhaka eastward - a critique
There is need to focus on the basic needs of the people, affordability and pursue economic development policies which would limit the influx of unemployed rural population into Dhaka. The valuable wet land in the east of Dhaka is important for the city's environment. Country's planners should perhaps prepare development plans centring round the divisional headquarters, and make them self-sustaining, writes Abu Reza
The World Bank (WB)-sponsored international conference in Dhaka, held on July 19 last, highlighted the need for a move 'Towards Great Dhaka'. However, many disheartening features of the current conditions in Dhaka City came out to the fore, such as Dhaka City's population has grown from a level of three million in 1980 to about 18m now, of which about 3.5m live in informal settlements (slums), lacking in basic amenities, and the population size may even surge to a level of 35m by 2035. The city's acute traffic congestion ('janjot') is unprecedented. The average driving speed in the city has come down to less than 4.0km per hour from 21km per hour ten years ago - almost a walking speed. Consequently the city loses 3.2 million working hours each day, and cost the economy several billion dollars a year. It has all come to this pass, not overnight but due to lack of right remedies over the decades.

The government had in fact turned to the WB earlier. In response to an official request, the Bank had appraised the Dhaka Urban Transport Project in December 1998. In independent Bangladesh, this represented the first comprehensive attempt towards tackling city's acute traffic congestion problem. The WB approved a $ 234.2m-project with many components, such as 1) Traffic Management, 2) Road Improvements, 3) Bus Route Improvements, 4) Rehabilitation of Bus Terminals, 5) Pedestrian Facilities, 6) NMT Network Improvement, 7) Grade Separated Interchanges, 8) Flood Damage Rehabilitation, 9). Equipment, 10) Technical Assistance and 11) Rehabilitation.

During the mid-term review in February 2002, the Bank revised the scope of the project dropping some components. In consequence, a project estimated originally to cost $ 234.2m, was wrapped up within $ 140.00m, dropping some components like Jatrabari Flyover, and consequently, a precious amount of $ 79.5m fund (almost grant like) was not utilised for the alleviation of the 'Janjot' for which the project was originally designed.

The Bank, however, prepared an Implementation Completion Report in December 2005 in which it admitted flaws in project preparation, saying that a "formal Quality at Entry Assessment was not undertaken", and that "there were significant shortcomings in identification, preparation and appraisal" for the following reasons:

1. "The project was highly complex by involving many different ministries and implementing agencies. …The support for public transport service improvements was inadequate in the project design"

2. "Poor institutional arrangement -between many agencies"

3. "Weak borrower ownership and commitment"

4. "Weak leadership at DTCB (now an authority), a crucial body for coordination, was not addressed."

In view of its restructuring, with some components dropped, for the remaining components, the economic rate of return (ERR) computed indicated, in terms of rate of return, a declining trend. It is conceivable that even at mid-life, virtually none of the components implemented was rendering the desired level of services.

The WB approach was narrowly focused during project preparation, without recognising the basic causes of the city's 'Janjot', such as population influx, and unregulated entry of motorised vehicles, among others. It should have been recognised that Dhaka is surrounded by river and water bodies on all sides, its overall size is finite, its potential road space is limited and, thus, it could not accommodate ever-increasing size of population or number of motorised vehicles. An approach that infrastructure provision alone will tackle Dhaka's 'Janjot' was not proven by the performance of the WB project.


Against this background of the WB's past intervention and its outcome, it is only logical that the Bank would seek to pick up the pieces and address itself afresh with ideas, and formulate a new project for a functioning capital, which would assuage the distressed Dhaka citizens and inspire hope. Instead, it is extraordinary to hear a WB official to suggest in the July conference that "developing east Dhaka in a sustainable manner was more meaningful than attempting to retrofit the over-built and over-congested Dhaka". To this end, the Bank introduced its draft report 'Towards Great Dhaka: A New Urban Development Paradigm Eastward'.

It seems that the conference focused on erecting a 'Shanghai' for Dhaka, in the model of its adjoining city of Pudong, which would inevitably cost many billions of dollars.

WORLD BANK'S DRAFT REPORT CRITICISED: However, Mr. Zhao Qizheng, former vice-mayor of Shanghai, said that "Pudong's experience may be applicable in some parts of China, but it may not be suitable for Bangladesh …". We have to recognise that China is a vast country with a huge population and the size of its gross domestic product (GDP) is the second highest in the world. It holds the world's biggest foreign exchange reserve.

Bangladesh, a low-income country, has limited means. There is need to focus on its basic needs, affordability and pursue economic development policies which would limit the influx of unemployed rural population into Dhaka. The valuable wet land in the east of Dhaka is important for the city's environment. Country's planners should perhaps prepare development plans centring round the divisional headquarters, and make them self-sustaining. This stance would be in conformity with the Prime Minister's avowed objectives of devolution of powers to local authorities who would pursue economic development creating jobs, and set up quality health and education facilities and improve quality of life at the local level. This development stance will have the potential not only to lessen pressure on Dhaka but also to improve governance by taking the government to the door of the people. All these are doable, given political will.

Dhaka should perhaps emulate the experience of Kolkata. Kolkata's performance, under the jurisdiction of Greater Metropolitan Development Authority, may be an eye-opener. Its population, according to 2011 Indian census, grew, on average, at a rate of 19.9 per cent in 1991; 19 per cent in 2001; and 7-6 per cent in 2011. Kolkata's area within the Municipal Corporation is 185 sq. km. Its population, which was 5.08m in 2009, reduced to 4.5 million in 2011. This outcome, it is claimed, is due to significant policy changes, through land reforms and concentrating in rural-based development work undertaken over a long period. There is a consensus among development experts that combined with improved agriculture production and development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), instead of implementing mega projects, all around the country, is perhaps clue to the tackling of the country's problem number one, which is unemployment.

The most important related issue, the former Chief Minister of Delhi Sheila Dixit pointed out in the conference, is one of Dhaka City's effective governance. Perhaps it is high time to introduce the system of city government. Thus a single authority can bring about proper coordination among many agencies, sometimes engaged at cross purposes. Both the Mayors of city corporations concurred with the idea.

Dr. Abu Reza, a Transport Economist, worked at WB/IDB.

aburezam@gmail.com.

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.c...oposal-to-develop-Dhaka-eastward---a-critique

 

[Bilal9]

Dhaka should perhaps emulate the experience of Kolkata. Kolkata's performance, under the jurisdiction of Greater Metropolitan Development Authority, may be an eye-opener.

There is a section of people in Bangladesh who just love Kolkata in spite of the delapidated entity it is. Just my opinion. Just having 'Fuchka' and 'GolGappa' at 11:00 PM in a city does not measure its quality in terms of amenities and services.

The only 'eye-opener' about Kolkata is that people have left the city in droves to go to other places in India in search of better jobs, amenities and better living conditions. They have that option, hence the negative growth in Kolkata for years, nothing else.

Kolkata cannot be a model for Dhaka.

 

[Bilal9]

MIR SANARC Rise, Tejgaon Industrial Area

Army Welfare Trust Housing Project, Baunia
Being developed by Shanta Holdings Ltd (courtesy of Jason Kazi)

Facilities include: gated community, community clubhouse, swimming pool, school, restaurant, mosque, amphitheater, cafe and boating lake, clinic, tennis courts, volleyball courts, fitness center, sports complex, large playgrounds, central water body

Shanta Lakehouse, UN Road, Baridhara

9 storied 3,513 sq. ft. unit apartment building with community hall, fitness center, rooftop jacuzzi, green spaces and water features.

 

[Banglar Bir]

12:00 AM, August 24, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 02:50 AM, August 24, 2017
This also happens
3 major bridges being built ahead of time with cost less than estimated

Piling work for a second bridge going on next to the Meghna Bridge on Dhaka-Chittagong highway. There is a possibility the new, wider bridge would be finished by December 2018, earlier than planned, said the project director. The photo was taken a few days ago. Photo: Anisur Rahman
M Abul Kalam Azad

When all major infrastructure projects are facing delays and cost escalation, the venture to build three new bridges on the Shitalakkhya, Meghna and Gumti rivers is making good progress.

All of them are expected to be completed by the December 2018 deadline, and setting an example, will cost less than what was estimated in the development project proforma (DPP).

Under the project, the existing Kanchpur, Meghna and Meghna-Gumti bridges would also be refurbished, officials of the road transport and bridges ministry said.

The four-lane bridges being built parallel to the old ones would cut short the travel time between Dhaka and Chittagong. The Dhaka-Chittagong highway was expanded into four-lanes last year.

After feasibility study, the cost of the project was estimated at Tk 8,487 crore, of which Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) was supposed to provide Tk 6,430 crore.

Before signing deals with four Japanese firms in November 2015, the total cost came down to Tk 7,677 crore due to strong negotiations by the project officials.

"We negotiated item to item and had been able to reduce the costs of many items," Road Transport and Bridges Division Secretary MAN Siddique told The Daily Star.

Project officials said the cost would further decrease as the consultancy fee (Tk 510 crore) and Custom Duty VAT (Tk 1,200 crore) were set to reduce.

The four contractors are Obayshi Corporation, Shimizu Corporation, JFE Engineer Corporation, and IHI Infra Systems Company Ltd.

As per the contract, the Japanese firms started working in January 2016 to build the new bridges. Despite a hiccup after last year's Holey Artisan attack, all foundation work, including piling of the three bridges were almost done.

Several Japanese firms building a new Meghna-Gumti bridge and a new Kanchpur bridge, bellow, on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway. The photos were taken recently. Photo: Anisur Rahman
"Piling work will be completed by October," said Project Director Saidul Haq, also the additional chief engineer of Roads and Highways Department.

He said the Japanese companies were producing steel girders at their factories in Vietnam and Myanmar. "They will start bringing the girders from October."

The length of the second Kanchpur bridge is 397 meters while the length of second Meghna bridge is 930 meters and second Meghna-Gumti bridge 1,410 meters.

This correspondent visited the sites last week and saw Japanese and local workers doing the pilings and other work in the rain. A good number of police and Ansar personnel were seen deployed to ensure round-the-clock security.

MAN Siddique said to complete the new bridges by next year the Japanese firms demanded two things, ensuring fund flow and security of the workers. "We assured them both and the firms are working extra hours to complete the project even before the deadline."

About 90 percent of the country's export-imports are done through the Chittagong Port. A majority of the goods are transported using the highway.

The highway had been widened onwards but the three bridges had become bottlenecks, often causing chaos on the country's economic lifeline.

Two underpasses and an overpass are being built on the eastern side of the Kanchpur bridge for smooth flow of traffic from all directions --Dhaka, Chittagong and Narsingdi (Sylhet).

The Japanese firms would start restoring the old bridges after completing the new bridges.

"The old bridges will be ready by the end of 2019, meaning traffic movement on the vital highway will be faster," Project Director Saidul Haq said.
http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/also-happens-1453222

 

[Bilal9]

Images of the trains, rail and stations of Dhaka Metro Rail project from DMTC site

 

[Bilal9]

Rain soaked Dhaka ....



Dhaka 2017 August by ASaber91, on Flickr


Dhaka 2017 August by ASaber91, on Flickr


Dhaka 2017 August by ASaber91, on Flickr

The Glass House - one of the newer midrises by Shanta Developments, Gulshan-1