Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday announced a comprehensive 12-point plan in the Jatiya Sangsad to transform Dhaka into a clean, green and environmentally sustainable city.
Responding to a starred question from treasury bench lawmaker Md Abul Kalam from Cumilla-9, the Prime Minister said coordinated efforts are being implemented through Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporations under the Local Government Division to improve urban cleanliness and environmental quality.
He said weekly public awareness campaigns are being conducted to increase citizen participation, alongside intensified cleanliness drives and mosquito control programmes across the capital.
As part of the waste management strategy, the Prime Minister said secondary transfer stations are being modernised with environmentally friendly methods, including landscaping, greening and awareness-based graffiti initiatives.
He added that Dhaka South City Corporation, in partnership with a Korea-based private company, is working to transform the Matuail landfill into an integrated circular economy-based waste management and energy production facility, targeting a “zero waste” system.
Tree plantation has also been prioritised, with saplings being planted in road medians, traffic islands and open spaces. Under Dhaka North City Corporation, urban afforestation through Miyawaki forest techniques is being implemented, including greening of previously unused medians.
A target has been set to plant five lakh trees in Dhaka North City Corporation areas over the next five years. Plantation activities will also extend beneath metro rail routes and elevated expressways.
To reduce air pollution, the Department of Environment (DoE) and Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority are jointly planning to introduce modern public transport and 250 electric buses.
With World Bank support, major pollution sources in Dhaka have been identified, while mobile courts are regularly operating against polluting vehicles, construction dust and harmful building materials.
Illegal brick kilns around Dhaka are being shut down, and Savar Upazila has been declared a degraded airshed with bans on brick kilns and open waste burning to improve air quality.
To reduce water pollution, Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) have been made mandatory for industries, with 248 institutions already installing them. Monitoring cameras have also been introduced for real-time supervision.
Pollution sources in major rivers including Buriganga, Shitalakkhya, Balu and Turag, as well as 19 canals, have been identified. Joint initiatives involving the Forest Department, city corporations and other agencies are underway to expand greenery across Dhaka.
So far, 41,565 saplings of fruit, medicinal, forest and ornamental trees have been planted, while vines, shrubs and grasses are being used to cover exposed soil in urban areas.
The Prime Minister expressed hope that coordinated implementation of these measures will gradually transform Dhaka into a cleaner, greener and more liveable city.
