Dhaka no longer feels livable, I sometimes want to return to my village: Mirza Fakhrul

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said Dhaka no longer feels like a livable city in the current context. He said he sometimes feels like leaving the capital and moving back to his village home.

He made the remarks today, Saturday afternoon while speaking as the chief guest at an event titled ‘Dokkhiner Janala’ (Window to the South) in the Bijoynagar area of the capital.

At the programme, organised by Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), Mirza Fakhrul shared some personal reflections. He said he occasionally feels inclined to leave Dhaka and live in his village home. Explaining why, he said that stepping outside the house means being confronted with polluted air and ‘polluted oxygen’.

Recalling memories from his student days, the veteran politician said that when he studied at Dhaka College in 1963, people could enjoy boat rides on the Buriganga River.

Now, however, the waters of both the Buriganga and the Shitalakkhya are so foul-smelling that it is difficult even to go near them. He expressed regret that sufficient and effective projects were not being undertaken to free the Buriganga from pollution.

Mirza Fakhrul also said that raising public awareness alone would not solve Dhaka’s problems. He questioned how systematically those responsible for policymaking and city governance were carrying out their duties.

While development projects worth billions of taka are being implemented in the city, he said, it is necessary to carefully assess how much ordinary citizens are actually benefiting from them.

The minister also spoke about unplanned urbanisation and the water crisis. He noted that although drains have been built at a cost of billions, proper drainage is still not being ensured. He further described the falling groundwater table—now reaching depths of around a thousand metres—as a serious threat to Dhaka.

The BNP leader welcomed the new Dokkhiner Janala’ (Window to the South) initiative. He expressed hope that efforts would go beyond activism and lead to practical measures to make Dhaka more livable. He said the government and his ministry would provide all necessary support in this regard.

The event was chaired by Dhaka South City Administrator Abdus Salam and attended by Dhaka WASA Managing Director Aminul Islam, environmental and water resources expert Ainun Nishat, Professor Kabirul Bashar of the Department of Zoology at Jahangirnagar University and urban planner Professor Adil Muhammad Khan, among others.