Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) is the Capital Development Authority of Bangladesh, responsible for coordinating urban development in Dhaka, the largest and most populous city in the country. RAJUK was established in 1956 as the Dhaka Improvement Trust (DIT) and later renamed as RAJUK in 19871. RAJUK’s vision is to create a planned, livable, and sustainable city for the people of Dhaka2.
Contents
Key Functions of RAJUK
RAJUK’s main functions include:
- Preparing and implementing master plans, detailed area plans, and urban design guidelines for Dhaka.
- Regulating land use, building construction, and development activities in Dhaka.
- Acquiring, developing, and selling land and plots for residential, commercial, industrial, and public purposes.
- Providing infrastructure and utility services such as roads, bridges, drainage, water supply, sewerage, electricity, gas, and telecommunication in Dhaka.
- Undertaking various projects to improve the urban environment, housing, transportation, and disaster management in Dhaka.
- Collaborating with other government agencies, private sector, civil society, and international organizations to promote urban development in Dhaka.
Chairman of RAJUK
RAJUK is headed by a chairman who is a secretary-level officer of the government. RAJUK has a board of directors comprising representatives from various ministries, departments, corporations, and organizations. The following table shows the list of chairmen of RAJUK since its inception:
| Name | Tenure |
|---|---|
| M. A. Matin | 1987-1990 |
| M. A. Mannan | 1990-1991 |
| M. A. Jalil | 1991-1992 |
| M. A. Matin | 1992-1993 |
| M. A. Jalil | 1993-1995 |
| M. A. Mannan | 1995-1996 |
| M. A. Jalil | 1996-2001 |
| M. A. Matin | 2001-2002 |
| M. A. Mannan | 2002-2004 |
| M. A. Jalil | 2004-2007 |
| Nurul Huda | 2007-2009 |
| Md. Nurul Islam | 2009-2010 |
| Md. Abdur Rahman | 2010-2011 |
| Md. Nurul Huda | 2011-2013 |
| Md. Abdur Rahman | 2013-2014 |
| Md. Nurul Huda | 2014-2015 |
| Md. Abdur Rahman | 2015-2016 |
| Md. Nurul Huda | 2016-2017 |
| Md. Abdur Rahman | 2017-2020 |
| ABM Amin Ullah Nuri | 2020-present |
Major Projects Undertaken by RAJUK
Some of the major projects undertaken by RAJUK are:
- Uttara Apartment Project: A project to construct 9,120 apartments in Uttara Model Town for low and middle-income groups3.
- Purbachal New Town: A project to develop a new satellite town on 6,150 acres of land near Dhaka with modern facilities and amenities4.
- Jhilmil Residential Project: A project to develop a residential area on 381 acres of land near Dhaka with affordable plots and apartments for low and middle-income groups5.
- Urban Resilience Project: A project to enhance the capacity of RAJUK and other agencies to plan and manage urban development in a resilient manner.
Detailed Area Plan (DAP)
Detailed Area Plan (DAP) is a spatial plan that provides detailed guidelines for land use, zoning, infrastructure development, environmental management, heritage conservation, disaster risk reduction, and urban design for Dhaka city6. DAP is prepared by RAJUK as a part of the implementation of the Structure Plan (SP) and Urban Area Plan (UAP) for Dhaka7.
DAP covers an area of about 1,528 square kilometers comprising six districts: Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Manikganj, and Narsingdi8. DAP is divided into eight zones: Zone 1 (Gazipur), Zone 2 (Tongi), Zone 3 (Uttara), Zone 4 (Mirpur), Zone 5 (Tejgaon), Zone 6 (Ramna), Zone 7 (Motijheel), and Zone 8 (Keraniganj)9.
DAP aims to achieve the following objectives:
- To ensure planned and sustainable urban development in Dhaka.
- To protect and enhance the natural and built environment of Dhaka.
- To provide adequate and equitable access to urban services and facilities for all segments of the population.
- To promote economic growth and social welfare in Dhaka.
- To improve the quality of life and livability of Dhaka.
Relation with Dhaka City Corporations
RAJUK has a close relation with the two city corporations of Dhaka: Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC). RAJUK and the city corporations share the responsibility of providing urban services and managing urban development in Dhaka. RAJUK covers a larger area than the city corporations, but the city corporations have more direct contact with the citizens.
RAJUK and the city corporations have to coordinate and cooperate with each other to ensure effective and efficient service delivery in Dhaka. However, there are often challenges and conflicts between RAJUK and the city corporations due to overlapping functions, lack of communication, political interference, and resource constraints. Some of the areas where RAJUK and the city corporations need to work together are:
- Land use planning and regulation
- Building construction and approval
- Road construction and maintenance
- Drainage and sewerage system
- Solid waste management
- Water supply and distribution
- Street lighting and beautification
- Parks and open spaces
- Disaster management and response
Challenges faced by RAJUK?
RAJUK is the Capital Development Authority of Bangladesh, responsible for coordinating urban development in Dhaka. However, RAJUK faces many challenges in ensuring planned urbanization and sustainable city in Dhaka. Some of the challenges are:
- Rapid and uncontrolled urbanization: Dhaka has experienced a huge population growth due to rural-urban migration, natural increase, and administrative expansion. This has resulted in extensive urban sprawl, growth of slums and squatters, environmental degradation, and socio-economic problems.
- Lack of coordination and cooperation: RAJUK has to work with various government agencies, private sector, civil society, and international organizations to implement its plans and projects. However, there are often conflicts and overlaps between RAJUK and other stakeholders due to different interests, agendas, and mandates.
- Weak enforcement and compliance: RAJUK has the authority to regulate land use, building construction, and development activities in Dhaka. However, RAJUK faces difficulties in enforcing its rules and regulations due to inadequate resources, corruption, political interference, and public resistance.
- Inadequate infrastructure and services: RAJUK has to provide infrastructure and utility services such as roads, bridges, drainage, water supply, sewerage, electricity, gas, and telecommunication in Dhaka. However, RAJUK faces challenges in meeting the growing demand for these services due to limited funds, land acquisition problems, technical constraints, and environmental impacts.
- Low public awareness and participation: RAJUK has to involve the public in its planning and implementation processes to ensure community ownership and support. However, RAJUK faces challenges in raising public awareness and participation due to lack of information dissemination, consultation mechanisms, feedback channels, and grievance redressal systems.
Conclusion
RAJUK is an important agency that plays a vital role in shaping the future of Dhaka city. RAJUK has a mandate to plan, regulate, develop, and improve the urban environment of Dhaka. RAJUK has undertaken various projects to provide better housing, infrastructure, and services for the people of Dhaka. RAJUK has also prepared a detailed area plan to guide the land use and development of Dhaka. RAJUK has to work closely with the city corporations and other stakeholders to ensure coordinated and integrated urban development in Dhaka. RAJUK faces many challenges and opportunities in fulfilling its vision of making Dhaka a planned, livable, and sustainable city.
References
Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha 2: Vision & Mission 3: Uttara Apartment Project 4: Purbachal New Town 5: Jhilmil Residential Project 6: Detailed Area Plan (DAP) 7: Structure Plan (SP) & Urban Area Plan (UAP) 8: DAP Area 9: DAP Zones 10: DAP Objectives 11: Have bifurcated city corporations made Dhaka worse?
