Dhaka, a megacity only by name, expanding rapidly, losing liveability

Bitter cold. The streets of Kathalbagan are empty. Shops have not yet opened. Dense fog hangs outside, with dew falling lightly like a fine drizzle.

Most residents are still wrapped under quilts, blankets and comforters. As on every day, the doorbell rings. At the door stands the domestic worker.

She is a part time domestic worker. She lives in a slum in the Kalvert area of Kathalbagan in the capital. 35 years ago, she migrated from Jamalpur and settled in the slum. She was married there.

She has a son and a daughter; both are now married and have children of their own. Her daughter also works as a domestic worker in several households. They all continue to live in the slum.

The sound of the doorbell wakes the house owner. He opens the door with visible irritation on his face. Nearly four decades ago, this house owner came to the city from a village in Khulna district to pursue his education.

After completing his studies, he did not return to the village. He works in a private organisation. He married and settled in Dhaka with his wife and son. Both the domestic worker and the house owner have found a place for themselves in Dhaka city.

In this manner, accommodating people one after another, Dhaka has now become the world’s second largest megacity. In another 25 years, it will become the most populated megacity in the world.

According to the United Nations, by 2050 there will be no city in any country larger than Dhaka.

Despite this enormous scale, Dhaka’s size is rarely discussed. The United Nations estimates that over the next 25 years, the population of only two cities will grow at an annual rate of 5 per cent: Dhaka and Shanghai.

The pace at which Dhaka is expanding has far outstripped the capacity of Bangladesh’s policymakers to keep up.

Over the past few decades, the area and population of Dhaka city have increased rapidly, but the city has not become correspondingly more livable. It is unplanned and disorder.

Transportation is a source of constant suffering. There is little evidence of planning in housing. Basic services such as electricity, water and gas are of poor quality.

The city lacks green spaces and pavements. Noise and air pollution are pervasive. The list of problems is long. There is a widespread crisis of management across the city.

Distinguished economist and co-author of the World Bank–published book ‘Toward Great Dhaka: A New Urban Development Paradigm Eastward’, Hossain Zillur Rahman, told Prothom Alo that despite being the capital and the country’s principal city, Dhaka has not shed its rural character.

Markets operate on major roads. Dhaka has grown in size, but not in quality. A large proportion of the city’s population is engaged in the informal sector and the productivity of its residents is low.

Therefore, Dhaka’s growth essentially represents the expansion of a weak economic geography. Dhaka has failed to become a modern city.

About a month and a half ago (18 November 2025), the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (ECOSOC) published the report ‘World Urbanisation Prospects 2025’, which stated that Dhaka is the world’s second largest megacity.

Approximately 36.6 million (3.66 crore) people live in this city. The world’s largest megacity is Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, with a population of 41.9 million (4.19 crore).

Dhaka has surpassed other major global megacities such as Tokyo, New Delhi, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Cairo, Manila, Kolkata, and Seoul to secure second place.

ECOSOC published lists of the top 10 megacities and their populations for the years 2000, 2025 and 2050. In 2000, Dhaka’s population stood at 17.4 million (1.74 crore), making it the world’s ninth largest megacity at the time.

Over 25 years, its population has increased by 19.2 million (1.92 crore), an average annual increase of 768,000 people. This means that, on average, Dhaka’s population has been growing by 2,104 people every day.

Some of these are new births, while others are migrants from various districts of the country, like the domestic worker from Kathalbagan or her employer.

According to the United Nations, this trend of rapid population growth in Dhaka will continue for another 25 years or more.

By 2050, Dhaka will become the world’s largest megacity, with a population of 52.1 million (5.21 crore). Jakarta will fall to second place, with its population rising to 51.8 million (5.18 crore).

United Nations reports do not provide a clear description of the boundaries or extent of Dhaka city.

However, a 2016 report titled ‘Urbanization and Migration in Bangladesh’, published by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), identified the areas included within the Dhaka megacity.

According to that report, in addition to the two Dhaka city corporations, six municipalities – Kadam Rasul, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Siddhirganj, Savar and Tongi were part of the megacity.

Furthermore, 68 unions located around the Dhaka city corporations and these six municipalities were also included within the megacity. It should be noted that Gazipur and Narayanganj were later upgraded to city corporations.

All of the above mentioned areas now fall under the jurisdiction of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK).

Discussions with the UNFPA Dhaka office and population experts indicate that the areas under RAJUK’s authority constitute the Dhaka megacity. In the Dhaka structural plan (2016–2035), this area is described as the Dhaka metropolitan region.

Urban specialist and associate professor in the department of geography and environment at Jahangirnagar University, Rezaul Roni, told Prothom Alo, “The ECOSOC report does not define the geographical boundaries of Dhaka. However, based on earlier reports and government development programmes, we can say that the RAJUK-administered Dhaka metropolitan region is Dhaka city.” Some also refer to this area as greater Dhaka.

According to RAJUK’s website, the total area under its jurisdiction is 1,528 square kilometres. This represents one per cent of Bangladesh’s total land area (148,460 square kilometres).

Yet this one per cent of land accommodates 20 per cent of the country’s population [based on a national population of 180 million (18 crore)].

At present, the Dhaka metropolitan region includes four city corporations: Dhaka North City Corporation, Dhaka South City Corporation, Gazipur City Corporation and Narayanganj City Corporation.

In addition, areas such as Tarabo, Bhulta, Purbachal, and Kaliganj to the east; adjoining areas of Gazipur city corporation to the north; all areas south of Narayanganj city corporation; Savar, Dhamsona and surrounding areas to the west and Keraniganj to the south-west are part of the metropolitan region.

However, Nawabganj and Dhamrai upazilas of Dhaka district lie outside the metropolitan area.

A total of 27 parliamentary constituencies fall within Dhaka metropolitan city. Constituencies Dhaka-1 to Dhaka-19 are under Dhaka metropolitan city (excluding Nawabganj, which falls under Dhaka-1).

Narayanganj-1, 2, 3 and 4 are entirely within the metropolitan area, while a large part of Narayanganj-5 is also included. The entirety of Gazipur-1 and Gazipur-2, as well as part of Gazipur-5, fall under Dhaka metropolitan city.

This political significance of Dhaka metropolitan city is rarely discussed. Nor is it commonly acknowledged that the responsibility for improving and beautifying the city also lies with these 27 members of parliament, alongside other authorities.

The total number of registered voters within Dhaka metropolitan city is 11,669,074. Voters constitute 32 per cent of the metropolitan population, whereas nationally, voters make up 73 per cent of the total population.

Compared with the national average, Dhaka metropolitan city has a lower proportion of voters. One major reason is internal migration: many people have moved to Dhaka from other districts.

Many slum residents are not registered voters in Dhaka. The domestic worker from Kathalbagan, her husband, daughter and son are not registered voters in that area.

She told Prothom Alo that she will travel to Jamalpur to cast her vote in the upcoming national parliamentary election.

Dhaka is increasingly becoming a city of slums. Slums are visible in almost every part of the city. Eviction drives and fires frequently bring slums into news headlines.

There are varying estimates regarding the number of slums and the population living in them. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) Urban Area Report 2022, there are 4,761 slums within Dhaka South, Dhaka North, Gazipur and Narayanganj city corporation areas.

If the entire Dhaka metropolitan region is considered, the number of slums would exceed 5,000.

Researchers at the BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, citing UNICEF, state that approximately four million (40 lakh) people live in slums in Dhaka city.

Large slums have developed on government-owned land, although 80 per cent of slums are located on privately owned land. Most slum residents live in rented accommodation.

Rent for a 100 sq ft dwelling in a slum ranges from Tk 4,000 to 5,000. Between 20 and 40 per cent of a slum household’s income is spent on rent.

Dhaka metropolitan city is densely populated, with an average of 23,953 people per square kilometre. Slums are even more densely populated.

The UNFPA’s 2016 report ‘Urbanization and Migration in Bangladesh’ noted that some slums in Dhaka are “exceptionally overcrowded”. In these slums, population density exceeds 220,000 people per square kilometre.

Urbanisation has brought about significant demographic changes. There is limited discussion on how people live, how they work, how social relationships are formed and how new communities emerge in this context.

Child marriage rates are high, child malnutrition is widespread, educational attainment is low, crime rates are high and access to healthcare is limited.

Professor Sabina Faiz Rashid of the BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health has been researching slums for more than 20 years.

She told Prothom Alo, “Why should people live like this? No one should have to live in such conditions. When we talk or write about slums, we tend to accept these realities. But this is not morally acceptable. It represents a profound failure.”

According to urban experts, there are several criteria by which the liveability of modern metropolitan cities is assessed.

These include: access to services and amenities; affordability of housing and mobility; opportunities for meaningful livelihoods; a safe and secure living environment; a clean and healthy environment; social equity; a sense of community among residents; assurance of quality education and healthcare; attractive and adequate public spaces; walkability; a healthy natural environment; vibrant cultural activities and opportunities for public participation.

Measured against these criteria, Dhaka metropolitan city ranks near the bottom.

In July last year, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the research arm of The Economist, published the results of a survey covering 173 cities worldwide, based on indicators such as stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.

The survey placed Dhaka at 171st position on the Global Liveability Index. In addition, daily global rankings of air pollution frequently place Dhaka among the most polluted cities in the world.

When Dhaka metropolitan city is mentioned, the image that comes to mind is that of a densely packed, monstrous city. Traffic congestion has rendered the city sluggish, significantly slowing the pace of life for its residents.

To address the current congestion, projects such as the metro rail, the elevated expressway and the 300-foot Purbachal road have been implemented.

However, questions remain as to how effective these modern projects are or will be under the pressure of such a vast population.

There are very limited visible large-scale actions to address these challenges. Even light rainfall causes waterlogging, submerging major roads.

Residents of the city live in constant fear of flooding. The drainage system is inadequate. Poor management results in waste being scattered across the city.

Construction work continues throughout the year, filling the city with dust. The city appears dull and grim. Added to this are poverty, social inequality, a strained healthcare system and weak governance.

Yet people continue to come to Dhaka and choose to stay. Education, healthcare, cultural activities, industry, trade and commerce, construction, transport and even the informal sector are all concentrated here.

According to the World Bank publication, ‘Toward Great Dhaka’, Dhaka is the powerhouse of Bangladesh’s economy.

The city contributes 20 per cent of national GDP, accounts for 44 per cent of formal employment and hosts 80 per cent of the export oriented ready-made garments industry within the Dhaka city.

It was this very pull that brought the domestic worker to Dhaka from Jamalpur 35 years ago. She returns to her village home in Jamalpur once a year during Eid to visit relatives she left behind.

When asked by Prothom Alo why she came to Dhaka, she replied, “There was poverty back home.”

When asked whether that poverty has now been overcome, no answer is forthcoming. Her weary face grows even more somber, much like the city of Dhaka itself.