Transformed Transportation to Boost Growth

Dhaka is one of the fastest-growing megacities in the world. A population of just 3 million in 1971 has ballooned to 18 million today. This unprecedented urban growth has resulted in a city more densely inhabited than Tokyo, Shanghai, Mumbai, or any other major city (Robert Gallagher).

The capital's growth partially represents the progress of the Bangladesh economy, which has grown atover 6 percent annually (7th Five Year Plan). The city's transport system, however, hasn't kept up, and Dhaka now has some of the worst traffic congestions in the world.

The government of Bangladesh is aiming for complete digitisation of its land record management system by 2020. Primarily, the deputy commissioner’s (DC) office at the district level is responsible for delivering land services, and the Assistant Commissioner (popularly known as AC Land) overlooks the mutation process with the help of the Union Land Assistant and other office assistants of Upazila (sub-district) or circle offices, such as Tahsildars.

More than six kilometres of water separate the southwest region from the rest of Bangladesh. The longstanding Padma Bridge project holds potential to span that gap both physically and economically, linking the region with Dhaka, Chittagong, and the rest of the country to the east.