Despite Dhaka metropolis' favourable geographical location as a national capital to become a hub of economic opportunities in the region, its development prospects are hamstrung by poor planning and equally haphazard project implementation. Although there have been projections into the future and a master plan too (riddled with all sorts of compromises though), the lack of an overarching vision has been a major roadblock to its growth at par with other regional cities.
That said, we turn to the latest research findings under the rubric of State of Cities: Urban Governance in Dhaka as outlined by the Institute of Governance Studies, Brac University. The relevance of the inputs can be measured in terms of the intensive and extensive survey of individual households carried out in the capital city over a period of six months. It has provided a valuable and insightful assessment of services delivered by city authorities.
The major finding of the research is that poor quality of civic services stems from corruption and political patronage. The modus operandi of political control and mobilisation and rent-seeking is patterned right down to the ward level -- thanks to the major political parties.
In such a context, Dhaka City Corporation and Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha have minimum freedom of action. They are incapable of making decisions, independent of the 'very well integrated and systematically managed political framework.'
The inner structural contradictions have been thus highlighted by the Brac study as never before and provides a cue to reform urban governance along modern lines.
The most insightful observation is about the way forward: the suggested strengthening of citizens' ability to hold their elected institutions accountable. The professionalisation of DCC and Rajuk coupled with implementation of the RTI act holds the key to transparency and accountability in the delivery of civic services in the metropolis. Simultaneously, rapid mass transport system would have to be developed on a priority basis.