Dhaka, the bustling capital of Bangladesh, is expanding at a breakneck pace, but its development reeks of disorder and lacks any coherent vision. Despite dramatic surges in size and population over recent decades, the city remains a poster child for poor planning and mismanagement. A damning report released on Saturday lays bare these harsh realities, painting a picture of a metropolis struggling to keep up with its own growth.
Published in Bangladesh’s leading Bengali daily Prothom Alo, the report highlights how traffic congestion has become a daily torment for residents. Housing developments show no sign of structured planning, while essential services like electricity, water, and gas are in deplorable condition. Green spaces and proper sidewalks are virtually nonexistent, drowned out by relentless noise and choking air pollution. The list of woes is endless, underpinned by a profound crisis in urban governance.
Dhaka is inching toward becoming a city of slums, with informal settlements sprawling across the capital. These shantytowns frequently make headlines due to eviction drives and devastating fires. Urbanization has reshaped the city’s demographics, yet little attention has been paid to how people live, work, forge social bonds, or how new neighborhoods take shape.
Social indicators are equally alarming. High rates of child marriage persist, child malnutrition is rampant, education levels lag, crime is on the rise, and access to healthcare remains limited. In July 2025, the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Livability Index ranked Dhaka 171st out of 173 cities, evaluating factors like stability, healthcare, culture, environment, education, and infrastructure.
Air quality rankings paint an even grimmer picture, with Dhaka often topping lists of the world’s most polluted cities. The mere mention of Dhaka conjures images of a dense, overcrowded nightmare where traffic jams grind life to a halt. Inadequate drainage and weak management leave residents perpetually vulnerable to flooding, resulting in mountains of garbage across the city.
Year-round construction blankets the streets in dust, casting a pall of gloom over the urban landscape. Compounding these issues are entrenched poverty, social inequalities, a strained healthcare system under pressure, and feeble governance, all pushing Dhaka deeper into crisis. Without urgent reforms, the city’s future looks increasingly precarious.