This city is no longer mine

The Economist published its 2026 Global Liveability Index. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) magazine has been releasing this ranking every year, and this year it assessed a total of 173 cities around the world. In this year's index, my city, Dhaka, ranks 171st — only Tripoli and Damascus are ranked lower. Even cities like Karachi and Lagos are placed above Dhaka. 

Looking at everything, I cannot help but wonder: Is this really the same city I knew in my youth, during the 1970s and 1980s? These days, I increasingly feel that I actually don't know Dhaka any more - this city is no longer mine.

Yet there was a time when life in Dhaka was truly beautiful - peaceful, graceful, and full of contentment. Living in the city was a genuine pleasure. Were there no problems then? Of course, there were. There were many small and large inconveniences, but they never made Dhaka feel unliveable. We never felt that, "No, it's impossible to continue living in this city." In the 1980s, Bangladesh Television used to telecast a serial drama called Dhakay Thaki (Living in Dhaka). We didn't watch it simply because it was a television drama. There was something deeply meaningful even in its title "Living in Dhaka" carried a quiet sense of pride and belonging.

Today, Dhaka's decline in liveability is evident to everyone. The city's unliveable condition becomes apparent wherever one looks. Greater Dhaka covers an area of 1,600 square kilometers and has a population of 36 million. In other words, more than 22,500 people live in every square kilometer. Without extraordinary planning and infrastructure, a city with such extreme population density is bound to become fragile in terms of liveability. 

In 1971, Dhaka's population was only 1.8 million, accounting for just 2% of Bangladesh's total population. 25 years ago, in 2000, Dhaka's population stood at 17.4 million, making it the world's ninth-largest city by population. By 2025, its population had reached 36.6 million. After Jakarta, Dhaka is now the world's second-largest urban agglomeration. 

Second, our metropolitan city lacks the adequate availability of the social services that are essential for a liveable city. Moreover, driven by the lure of profit, we have cut down trees, reduced playgrounds, and filled in wetlands to construct residential buildings, shopping centres, and various other physical infrastructures. As a result, waste management in the city is extremely weak, with garbage dumps scattered across many areas. Dhaka also lacks a proper sewage and drainage system. Even a small amount of rainfall causes widespread waterlogging because there is no effective drainage system.

Third, Dhaka's air pollution is well known. It is arguably one of the most polluted cities in the world in terms of air quality. In addition to air pollution, noise pollution and other forms of environmental degradation have significantly reduced the city's liveability.

Fourth, Dhaka is essentially a city of concrete. This becomes most evident when viewed from an airplane. From above, one can clearly see the overwhelming dominance of concrete structures. This has two major consequences. One, the absence of greenery and open spaces, which are essential for public well-being, deprives people of a pleasant and liveable environment. Two, such an enormous concentration of concrete infrastructure in the deltaic landscape of earthquake-prone Bangladesh makes the city a highly risky place to live.

Fifth, traffic congestion and numerous transportation obstacles make daily life in Dhaka extremely difficult. Spending hours stuck in traffic, failing to reach destinations on time, and being unable to meet urgent needs have become the reality of urban life in Dhaka. These conditions significantly reduce the city's liveability.

Sixth, the spread of violence, crime, and terrorism, along with the growing sense of insecurity among residents, poses a major threat to Dhaka's liveability. Finally, one of the most important elements of a liveable city is strong human relationships and social harmony. These qualities are gradually disappearing from Dhaka's public life. The sense of humanity and community that once characterised life in Dhaka has steadily faded.

There are numerous socio-economic and policy-related reasons behind this situation.  

First, the rapid growth of Dhaka's population is due not only to natural population growth but also to rural-to-urban migration. Various natural disasters - including floods, cyclones, and riverbank erosion - have endangered the lives and livelihoods of people across the country. Poor and marginalised people from different regions have moved to Dhaka simply to survive. We witnessed the same trend during the period of famine, or monga, in northern Bangladesh. Furthermore, because Dhaka is the country's administrative, commercial, and economic centre, people from other parts of the country are naturally drawn to the city. 

Second, human greed for wealth and property can destroy a city's liveability, and Dhaka is no exception. The expansion of physical infrastructure at the expense of environmental balance, unplanned urbanisation, and the absence of effective urban planning have severely undermined the city's liveability. 

Dhaka bears little evidence of proper urban planning. It has grown in a haphazard and unplanned manner, with no clear long-term vision for the future. Residential developments have expanded indiscriminately, while roads and streets have been constructed in an equally unplanned way. Many areas lack proper sidewalks, and transportation remains a constant source of hardship. The quality of essential services such as electricity, water, and gas are poor. There is a severe shortage of green spaces and water bodies. Dhaka is heavily overcrowded, waste is scattered throughout the city, and construction work and dust persist year-round. Overall, the city presents a bleak and neglected appearance.

Among the six major indicators, Bangladesh scores particularly poorly in four areas: social stability, healthcare, culture and environment, and infrastructure. If Dhaka can ensure these essential conditions, it will no longer pose a warning sign for its residents.

Traffic congestion causes immense suffering in people's daily lives. Even light rainfall leads to waterlogging, submerging roads and streets. The city's sewage and drainage system are inadequate. Many people say that Dhaka has now become a city of slums. It is estimated that there are nearly five thousand slums in Dhaka. Some of these slums are extremely densely populated, with as many as 225,000 people living per square Kilo meter. The residents of Dhaka are overwhelmed by noise and air pollution. Large roads in the city are often occupied by bustling markets. Although Dhaka has expanded in size, its quality of life has not improved.

Third, the absence of decentralisation in the country's administrative and economic activities has placed an enormous burden on Dhaka. Although Bangladesh has gradually achieved administrative decentralisation over time, economic decentralisation has not reached the desired level. As a result, industrialisation and other economic activities, along with quality educational, healthcare, and social infrastructure, have become concentrated in major cities such as Dhaka and Chattogram. Consequently, district and sub-district towns have failed to develop into regional centres of growth. 

People have therefore migrated to Dhaka in search of work, believing that they would at least find some employment in the city and would not have to go hungry. At present, Dhaka contributes about 20% of Bangladesh's national income and accounts for approximately 40% of the country's formal employment. At the same time, improvements in transportation management and the establishment of a strong public safety framework could greatly improve the quality of life in Dhaka.

A modern metropolitan city is expected to meet several key criteria for liveability: meaningful employment opportunities, a safe and secure life, a clean and healthy environment, access to essential services and amenities, quality education and healthcare, affordable housing and transportation, attractive and sufficient public spaces, a healthy natural environment, vibrant cultural activities, and opportunities for public participation. 

These factors are reflected in The Economist's Global Liveability Index. Among its six major indicators, Bangladesh scores particularly poorly in four areas: social stability, healthcare, culture and environment, and infrastructure. If Dhaka can ensure these essential conditions, it will no longer pose a warning sign for its residents.

Just as a city's liveability can be improved, it can also decline if required measures are not taken. The Liveability Index shows that over time Lisbon has improved its ranking by six places, New York by four places, and Tokyo by three places. In contrast, Muscat has fallen by fourteen places, Kuwait City by twelve places, and Amman by eleven places.

This demonstrates that the liveability of a city can indeed be improved through effective planning and policy changes. Although the current state of Dhaka often makes us sadly say, "This is not my city," with meaningful improvements we may one day proudly say, "Dhaka is the city of my heart." 

Sketch: TBS

Dr Selim Jahan is the Former Director of the Human Development Report Office and Poverty Division at the United Nations Development Programme, New York, US

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.