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Four metropolitan cities to turn into ‘smart cities’ LGRD asks ERD to arrange Tk 3,051cr funds DEEPAK ACHARJEE, Dhaka For the first time in the country, the government is going to develop some urban areas, especially the metropolitan cities, into ‘smart cities’ by improving urban governance and urban infrastructure services. In the first phase, four cities—Dhaka Metropolitan City, Chattogram Metropolitan City, Khulna Metropolitan City and Rajshahi Metropolitan City—would be made smart cities, LGRD ministry sources said. The government has taken up the massive Integrated Smart Cities Development Project to mark Mujib Borsho, the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation. To implement the five-year project, the LGRD ministry has asked the Economic Relations Division (ERD) to arrange the required Tk 3,051 crore from donor agencies or countries, the sources added. Talking to The Independent, senior secretary of the LGRD ministry Helal Uddin Ahmed said that they had taken up the project to make urban areas, especially the metropolitan cities, into ‘smart cities’ to build a digital Bangladesh. “We will improve urban governance and urban infrastructure service of the urban areas under the project,” he said. “The urbanization problem has become particularly acute in the country owing to the primacy of the capital city of Dhaka. Because of a large concentration of wealth and income as well as unsustainable pressure, the proposed project would stress decentralization of facilities to other cities and towns,” he added. Mayor-elect of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Atiqul Islam said he wanted to develop Dhaka into a smart city by providing the required facilities and services to the city dwellers. “We are committed to transforming capital Dhaka into a smart city by improving services like solid waste management, road-footpath-median, street lights, markets, traffic signals, parks, play grounds, graveyards-cemeteries, community centres, gymnasiums, libraries, mosquito control, food and sanitation, city beautification activities by using advanced technologies,” he said. Sources said the authorities have emphasized improved urban environment, improved institutional performance and governance, and better management and supervision support. The project would include the creation of essential urban infrastructure such as roads, drains, sewerage, solid waste management, drinking water supply, energy efficient street lighting, community-level infrastructure, and city command and control centre. According to the project proposal, urban areas are the engines of economic growth and the country is developing economic corridors to integrate industry, infrastructure, urban services and institutional and regulatory framework. Currently, Bangladesh is striving to establish Digital Bangladesh, and all the cities have to become smart by adopting the smart city technologies that can make life easier for citizens.