Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam said on Saturday that Dhaka is one of the most populous cities in the world, where delivery of civic amenities around the city is faced with various challenges due to unplanned urbanization.
"We have to work step-by-step to solve these problems," the minister was speaking at a seminar titled "Dhaka Traffic Congestion: Impact of Metrorail and Expressway" at CIRDAP Auditorium.
The government has been gradually implementing various projects to make Dhaka a modern city under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since 2009.
"As a result of this, now we have got high-speed Metrorail, Expressway in Dhaka," he added.
Pointing out that all the problems of Dhaka cannot be solved overnight, he said that gradually all problems will be solved by consulting with all concerned.
Referring to the economic development of the country, the minister said that the number of vehicles is also increasing along with the increase in the capacity of people.
The minister also emphasized making footpaths free from encroachers.
He said that if passersby get a pleasant environment to walk on footpaths, they will walk for short distances which will be good for the environment and the health of citizens.
However, in that case, the hawkers should be rehabilitated or an environment should be created to allow them to do business at a certain time, he said.
Regarding traffic congestion, he said, it is high time to think about the registration of multiple vehicles of the same family.
Emphasizing the proper implementation of the law, he said that it has become crucial to bring order to the parking system in Dhaka city.