Autonomy of Rajuk only on paper

New Age | Newspaper



Taib Ahmed

The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha does not implement many major decisions without first obtaining the approval of the politicians in power or bureaucrats in position, even though it is supposed to be an autonomous body.

The Rajuk was established under the Town Improvement Act of 1953, that was amended in 1987, which stipulates that its board has full authority to take decisions to improve the city and control development.

Rajuk has not yet started retrieving occupied flood flow zones, wetlands and agricultural lands as stipulated in the Detailed Area Plan of Dhaka, which was gazetted six months back.

It has also not yet demolished illegal structures like the BGMEA Bhaban and the Bishal Centre in Maghbazar.

Rajuk’s chairman Nurul Huda on several occasions has said that they need the government’s approval before razing illegally constructed structures or implementing the provisions of the DAP.

‘Though Rajuk is an autonomous body and its board can take any decision as far as the city’s development and improvement are concerned, we often have to wait for the government’s decision before taking action,’ Nurul Huda told New Age.

‘There are many tasks which the Rajuk cannot do by itself,’ he said. ‘That’s why other government agencies like the police, Dhaka City Corporation and the Water Supply and Sewerage Authority need to work with us.’

Nurul Huda, however, denied that he had faced any obstacles put up by this government.

‘You see, you cannot get a fully autonomous body in Third World countries like Bangladesh,’ he said.

Urban experts and planners have expressed their dismay at Rajuk’s failures to execute its decisions, and said that this delay in taking action has ‘helped unplanned urbanization of the capital city’.

They blamed successive governments for making Rajuk a ‘crippled body’ to serve their own interests.

‘The way Rajuk is now operating cannot be allowed to go on,’ urbanisation expert Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, who is also former vice-chancellor of BRAC University, told New Age.

‘The ministry always tries to influence Rajuk, while the Rajuk itself wants to work in line with the ministry’s decision to avoid any future complexities,’ he said.

Both the president of the Institute of Architects Bangladesh, Mubasshar Hussain, and joint secretary of the Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan, Iqbal Habib, said that Rajuk would never be able to exercise autonomous authority if it keeps a government official of the status of only a joint secretary as its head.

‘Rajuk’s autonomy is eyewash. Rajuk’s chairman has the power to exert himself, but an official of joint secretary status will never be able to go beyond the ministry’s decision,’ Mubasshar told New Age.

‘Had the president of the country been made the appointing authority of Rajuk’s chairman and had this person been given the status of minister or adviser with the necessary power, only then would Rajuk have been able to function smoothly,’ he said.

He also suggested that a person with a lot of knowledge of urban planning should be appointed as Rajuk’s chairman.

Iqbal Habib said that the Rajuk is the custodian of the DAP, the master plan of the city, and its head must be a person with authority equal to that of ministers so that he can represent the people effectively.

‘The chairman and the board members are government officials. They are bound to execute government decisions and they do not have the courage to withstand any political pressure,’ he observed.

He was doubtful whether the DAP would be implemented even by 2015, the year when the validity of the master plan will expire.