Int'l conference on know-how Wednesday

The World Bank has convened an international conference in Dhaka for tomorrow (Wednesday) under a move for rebuilding Bangladesh's chaotic capital into a dynamic and attractive urban agglomeration.

Officials said Monday international experts from Oxford University, UK, Chinese megacity of Shanghai, Indian capital Delhi, Dhaka's two city mayors, local ministers, policymakers, economists, urban planners and researchers will deliver their thoughtful opinions and expertise on how Dhaka could be turned into an attractive and liveable capital city worthy of a country graduating into a higher status.

The World Bank Dhaka office is organising the daylong international conference at a city hotel.

A World Bank (WB) official said they will organise the event to collate some thoughtful ideas and innovations for formulating a roadmap to transform the "chaotic" Dhaka city into an attractive dynamic city by 2035.

"The World Bank has plans to help the Bangladesh government to make up the capital into a truly liveable urban city," he added.

Dhaka is classed as one of the least liveable cities in the world with its messy traffic, overburdened vehicles, dense population and poor urbanization activity.

The WB official said former Delhi Chief Minister Ms Sheila Dixit will share her experience on how the Indian capital has turned around.

Former Vice Mayor of world's miracle-city Shanghai Mr Zhao Qizheng and a Chinese urban planner Mr Zhu Ruolin will present thoughts on the transformation of the city seen as China's industrial heartland.

Besides, an Oxford University Professor, Mr Anthony Venables, will present the technical foundations for Dhaka towards 2035, he said.

"Experts from home and abroad, including the RAJUK Chairman, the Chief of the Special Works Organisation of the Bangladesh Army, President of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Chief Economist of the World Bank, South Asia, will discuss how the plan could be turned into an action for the Dhaka city development at the international conference Wednesday," the WB official said.

In addition, World Bank country director Qimiao Fan and Economic Relations Division (ERD) Secretary Kazi Shofiqul Azam will speak on partnership between the WB and the government for making Dhaka into a liveable city by 2035.

Various reports and surveys have revealed that Dhaka is expanding fast as a sprawling, jerrybuilt metropolis amid a lack of modern plans and coordination among different agencies executing and overseeing its development works.