Chittagong as the commercial capital

While inaugurating the Muradpur-Lalkhan Bazar flyover in Chittagong city, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sprouted off all the development her government had brought about in Chittagong. She even said she had a special bond with Chittagong.

It is true that once the flyover is constructed it will reduce Chittagong city's traffic congestion to a considerable extent. But until the road construction is complete, will the people of Chittagong just have to continue to suffer?

During the first term of Khaleda Zia's government, Chittagong had been declared as the country's commercial capital. Many years have passed since then, but Chittagong has not undergone any significant infrastructural development.

On one hand the government calls Chittagong the commercial capital, and on the other hand it is relocating the head offices of one business organisation after the other to Dhaka. That does not bode well.

When Mumbai was declared the commercial capital of India, radical changes were brought about in its port and civil facilities. Modi's government has taken initiative for a high speed train service between Delhi and Mumbai.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh's commercial capital is losing its past glory due to the lack of proper policy and planning.

The prime minister claims that her government has done a lot of development work in Chittagong. But no development is visible other than the verbal declaration of it being the commercial capital and making Chittagong airport into an international one.

The beautiful Chittagong surrounded by green hills and the sea is now a city of dirt and garbage. Many feel that since an opposition party leader was elected mayor of the city corporation, the government has turned its back on Chittagong. The responsibilities of the city corporation have been handed over to the Chittagong Development Authority.

If the government genuinely wants Chittagong to be developed, not just in word but in deed, it must prove it through its work. If it wants to build Chittagong as the commercial capital, the government must do away with its centre-oriented development thinking and take up a decentralised development policy.