The Independent
12th January, 2013
M. Serajul Islam
The
Hatirjheel project that was opened the Prime Minister last week was a major
event in the life of the inhabitants of Dhaka. Soon after it was opened for
traffic and the public, it became a star attraction for the people for
sightseeing. Dhaka that was once a pretty city has lost almost all its attractiveness as a
consequence of the mindless and visionless expansion of the city over the last
few decades since our independence in which all regimes that came to power have
contributed their share to earn Dhaka the discredit and disgrace last year of
being named as the worst livable city in the world.
This
project is in sharp contrast to that infamous reputation that Dhaka earned. Apart from the beauty it has added to a city
where beauty as an element of nature has become almost irrelevant to Dhaka’s
inhabitants, the mere knowledge that such a vast space at what is pretty much
the centre of the city is also a breath of fresh air to the people of the city.
The Hatirjheel Project will act as oxygen to the residents of Dhaka who, with
the traffic jams, the harshness of the living conditions, and the other
miseries, were being snuffed out of life. It was not too long ago that there
was a big billboard for construction of Hotel Hilton at the corner where the
road from Sonargoan meets the road leading to the Tejgoan Industrial Area as
well as many other billboards of different businesses where land grabbers were
selling off government land at will with connivance of those in power.
A
lot of credit for saving Hatirjheel from going to projects like Hotel Hilton
and the land grabbers of Dhaka city goes
to the environmental groups who got together to put the pressure on the
governments under both the mainstream
parties. Credit must go to these governments for not falling to the pressure of
the land sharks who, with their indulgence, could have turned the vast area now
the Hatirjheel Project, 320 acres in all, into mindboggling amounts of cash.
The Caretaker Government must also get a great deal of credit for initiating
the project while in power and giving the armed forces the hand to lead the
project. Hatirjheel stands as a lone example so far of Dhaka standing
successfully against the land grabbers!
Hatirjheel
is a multipurpose project. To Dhaka, this has given a much needed facelift. To
commuters who were crying out to the Almighty for new roads to help Dhaka’s
unbelievable and insufferable traffic jam, Hatirjheel has added 9 km of road
connecting Rampura to Tejgoan, Moghbazar and beyond. The Project will also come
as a much needed relief to help the residents of Gulshan and Baridhara to move
towards Moghbazar/Motijheel. The project will give to the inhabitants of Dhaka
10km of walkway on either side of the lake in a city where such walkway is
something of a dream. The Project will also come as a much needed relief from
water logging during the rainy season. When fully completed, it will have a
theatre, park, garden and a few other recreation facilities.
It
was heartening to hear the Prime Minister by instructing the relevant authorities
to ensure that those who lost land to Hatirjheel are compensated adequately by
housing facilities elsewhere. Nevertheless, even the best of projects will have
its problems; with the Hatirjheel too there would be those who would be
critical on some aspects. The main criticism about the project is of course
with the BGMEA building at the western end of the Hatirjheel near Sonargoan as
an eyesore. The people of Dhaka wanted the government to tell them what its
thoughts are about this building. In fact, they wanted it to go before the
Hatirjheel Project was opened. The Government should seriously find a
resolution to this eyesore. Better still, the BGMEA that makes justifiable
claims for its contribution to the nation’s economy, does not really have a
positive image with the people of Bangladesh on its treatment of its workers.
Perhaps it could bring the building down on its own and improve its image.
Hatirjheel
has been opened prematurely; no doubt because the government is aware this is
an election year and thus eager to seek people’s favour. The authorities have
not yet put any road signs to help people to use the roads on either side of
the Hatirjheel properly. For example, users going out of Gulshan towards
Moghbazar have no clear direction on how to get into the proper side of the
road. This problem will be complicated
when the Mega Mall of the Police authorities standing where the Gulshan Avenue
falls into the Hatirjheel road is opened soon. Gulshan Avenue that Rajuk has
turned without any consideration other than a nexus of greed with the land
owners where multistoried buildings are coming up like mushrooms will only add
more pressure and complications to Hatirjheel in terms of traffic in the time
ahead. Unless the traffic is regulated
properly at the intersection where the new road meets the Tejgoan road close to
the rail gate near Sonargoan Hotel, the congestion existing there before the
opening of the Hatirjheel will be exacerbated.
In fact, the meeting points of existing roads with the Hatirjheel road
at various points have not been made user friendly and could cause new problems
and traffic jams.
The
authorities would have done themselves a great favour if they had sought some interaction
with the public before putting the project into execution. They have not done
so. One wonders whether it is already late to correct the problems. In the
first one week after the road was opened, the public has not seen much easing
in the traffic situation. These issues
notwithstanding, the Hatirjheel Project has proven that given a good cause, the
government, the opposition and the interest groups can come together and
achieve something that is good for all. This gives us the hope that for a greater
cause, namely to find a way for peaceful
transfer of power through an election acceptable to all, all concerned will do
their share by keeping the interest of
the nation above their own.
The
public reaction after Hatirjheel was opened is something worth noting. Those
interviewed on the private TV channels were ecstatic. They liberally compared
this project with the best of the world. Some felt that this project has
elevated Dhaka to the status of the other beautiful cities of the world. Many
who may have never seen any big city other than Dhaka were heard saying Dhaka
has become as beautiful as Paris as a consequence of the Hatirjheel. Such
excitement underscores how easy it is to satisfy our people. The Prime Minister
has called the Hatirjheel the government’s New Year’s gift to the people that
they have accepted gladly and with gratitude. One expects that she would end
the year by giving the people another gift; their constitutionally guaranteed
right to elect the party of their choice to form the next government.
In
reality, Dhaka has the natural layout to compete and become as beautiful as the
other beautiful capitals of the world. With Hatirjheel, the city has reclaimed
one of the beautiful spots. We have unfortunately lost almost all the rest.
Dhaka city has been endowed by nature with rivers all around it. In fact, this
sentence should be expressed in the past tense for the rivers we were gifted by
nature are just there, gasping for breath with their lives on the verge of
being snuffed out. The efforts of the environmentalists and the media have not
been able to do much in getting these rivers back from the land grabbers and
the industrial polluters. After Hatirjheel, one hopes and prays that all
concerned will come together to save the rivers around Dhaka.
The writer is a retired career
Ambassador and Secretary
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