Introduction:

RAJUK (Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha) is a statutory body entrusted with the

responsibility of initiating and implementing urban development plans through planning.

It is the regulatory authority expected to guard against illegal structural developments that

would disrupt the environment and habitat of the sprawling metropolis. Its precursor was

the Dhaka Improvement Trust (DIT) which is replaced in 1987. DIT was founded in 1956

under the Town Improvement Act 1953 with the special objective of undertaking

development programs for Dhaka and Narayanganj and for some other areas in the

vicinity of the two towns. A 13 member board of trustees forms the apex of the DIT

administrative structure with a chairman at the top. The development challenge posed by

the rapid urbanization of Dhaka and its environs in the 1970s and `80s necessitated

amendment to the administrative and legal structure of DIT. The outcome was the own

Improvement (amendment) Act 1987 through which DIT was transformed into Rajdhani

Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK).

Background of RAJUK:

In 1947, when India was partitioned, Dhaka became the seat of the provincial

government of East Pakistan. The population increased from 0.28 million in 1951 to

around 1.2 million in 1971. As the Capital of Bangladesh, which emerged as an

independent country after the War of Liberation in 1971, Dhaka has now become one of

the fasted growing cities in the world and its population is likely to exceed 10 million by

this time. Although efforts have been made in the past to plan the growth of the City from

a district town to one of the largest cities in the world, most have been unsuccessful. As a

result, the living conditions have deteriorated very rapidly and the social as well as

physical infrastructure are on the verge of collapse. Immediate actions are necessary to

bring some discipline to the future growth of the city.

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Organizational Structure of RAJUK:

RAJUK is now a public body managed by a board comprising a chairman

and not more than five members. The chairman and the principle executive of RAJUK

and the other members are government officials. All members of the board are full time

officials with specific responsibilities within the board framework of the RAJUK set-up

having five different divisions such as, development and engineering; estate and land;

finance; budget and accounts; planning and architecture.

The existing structure of the organization stands with the old version of

Organogram having 728 officials of which 140 officials under Planning Section are

shown the working strength of the Authority. At that time RAJUK comprised an area of

320 sq ml after then RAJUK has extended an area up to 590 sq ml under its jurisdiction,

whereas the number of officials only increased up to 1081 of which Planning Section

provided for total 253 officials according to the proposal of the new Organogram

prepared and placed in 1987. This Organogram has been approved by the Establishment

and pending for clearance from the Finance.

An order circulated by the Ministry of Establishment on the basis of the

proposal for recruitments of 78 project officials within the RAJUK's main setup. The

posts of 57 Project officials been approved by the Establishment for absorption in the

present set up of RAJUK form 1st July 1996.

In view of this problem another Organogram having the posts of 1232

officials have been proposed in October 1999 to the concern Ministry for approval. Of

this Organogram, Planning Section of RAJUK concerns 318 officials of which 68 new

officials are to be posted under Chief Architect. This Organogram have partially been

implemented through the appointment of two Authorized Officers with the existing two

posts of Authorized Officer by an order issued in February 2001.

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Figure: Organizational Structure (Organo-gram) of RAJUK

Major Functions of RAJUK:

The major functions of RAJUK are discussed below:

1. Planning:

i) Physical Development:

Planning is the fundamental issue in the process of city development. During plan

preparation RAJUK follows certain principles, which include National Urban Policy,

Project Design, Planning, Multi Sector Investment Program and existing Policies and

Programs of different Agencies.

ii) Construction:

RAJUK is one of the lead "Construction Actor" in the development process of Dhaka.

The main activities include construction of roads, box-culverts/culverts and bridges and

also development, excavation and filling of land.

2. Planning and Designing:

Planning and design are the basic stage of construction. Project preparation, feasibility

study, project programming and time scheduling are directly under the planning

component.

Chairman

Member (Admin and

Land)

Member (planning)

Member (Development)

Member (Finance)

Member (Estates)

Chief Engineer

Secretary Director (Land)

Director (Town

Planning)

Director (plan

Preparation)

Director (Dev.

Control)

Director (Finance)

Director (audit)

Director (estates)

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Design includes:

1. Conceptual Design

2. Selection of Materials

3. Design and Construction Code and Standards

4. Analysis of Dimensions and their Verification

5. Detailed Drawings

6. Detailed Qualities and Estimate of Materials.

7. Development Control

3. Development Control:

i) The Town Improvement Act 1953:

City area is changing continuously through development activities by different actors like

government agencies, private developers, individuals and others. Planned urban growth is

mainly based on the development control measures. Land use control in urban areas of

Bangladesh is initiated with the adoption of the Town Improvement Act 1953.

ii) The East Bengal Building Construction Act 1952:

The East Bengal Building Construction Act, 1952, (amended 1987) is also considered a

legal document for development control. Rules, regulations and ordinances of the City

Authorities are also being exercised for this purpose. Every construction requires

permission as per provision of `The East Bengal Building Construction Act 1952

(amended 1987) (EBBC Act 1952)'. The developing agencies are empowered for

planning permission and approval of building plans and prevent illegal constructions in

the metropolitan areas.

iii) Land Use Planning Rules:

Statutory rules control land use according to planning standards. It is based on land use

policies including local plans, such as control of residential density, road standard,

maintenance providing of infrastructure and services. The acts and the master plans of the

cities are the principal legal instruments, which force and exercise planning control and

standards.

The land use of metropolitan Dhaka ought to follow the provision of the City Master

Plan. Housing, commercial and industrial project buildings need planning permission,

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which are generally practiced. It must be in conformity with the land use provision of the

Master Plan.

iv) Building Construction Rules:

According to the East Bengal Building Construction Act-1952 (amended 1987)', each and

every building within the designated areas of City `Master Plan’ needs approval from the

City Development Agencies. As per Acts, the definition of building is: `Building includes

a house, hut, wall and any other structure where of masonry bricks, corrugated iron sheet,

metal tires wood, bamboo, mud, leaves, grass, thatch or any other materials whatsoever'.

The Act has empowered to initiate building rules under section 18, EBSC Act 1952

which has been updated, based on public interest, regularly since 1954, (in 1984, and in

1996). It has been formulated through the Government of Bangladesh exercising the

power of the Act.

v) Authorized Sections and Building Construction (BC) Committees:

RAJUK has a Development Control Section (Authorized Section). Previously this section

was comprised with two Authorized Officers, two Assistant Authorized Officers, four

Chief Building Inspectors, 50 Building Inspectors and other staff. Now the number of

Authorized Section increased in four (4) instead of two (2) by increasing the staff

members and demarking the areas specified under control of each authorized jurisdiction.

These sections are supported by the four Building Construction (BC) Committees headed

by the Members (Planning and Development) for approval of the building plans and

exercising the powers of the Act for planned growth of the city.

Other Functions:

1. RAJUK as a prime Planning Authority represents Bangladesh as well as Dhaka City in

various National and International Seminars, Symposiums and Workshops held in home

and in abroad.

2. RAJUK tries to incorporate and share the ideas and concepts related to planning and

development adopted or practiced in different part of the World.

3. RAJUK participates in various training programs to improve the organizational

capabilities. RAJUK is an active member of CITYNET, SAARC-SHELTERNET and

HABITAT-II.

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4. RAJUK organize Seminars and Workshops on different urban issues in regular basis,

the seminar on World Habitat Day is an example.

Problems of RAJUK:

Problems in practicing power, plans and limitations of Acts:

1. Due to non-applications of powers and lack in enforcement of building

constructions rules and regulations. Negligence in duties, intention to forgo some

specific cases, poor inspection and reporting and political influence made

Authorized Section of RAJUK a fearsome part of the organization.

2. Misuse of power and Act also shown by the Authority as claimed by the clients

create unnecessary harassment and delay.

3. The provisions of Act clearly defined that the plans should be forwarded for

clearance or approval within 45 days and if, any objection made in the plan must

be notified within 30 days after submission for approval. In fact the process

sometimes take more time as specified in the Act and in many cases it takes years

to get the approval.

4. Today vast areas of the city have no detailed plans and informal development and

unauthorized construction occur due to lack of plans. RAJUK has not been able to

generate local interest or activity for community participation in planning.

5. One of the major components of the Master Plan "Institutional Strengthening of

RAJUK," has not been considered by the concerned ministry or by RAJUK. It is

felt by many that RAJUK needs a big number of planners of planning for a mega

city of approximately ten million inhabitants.

6. By 2005 RAJUK should have completed all the detailed area plans and started

their implementation at the local level but till now people are not sill aware of the

DAP and its contents.

Problems faced and created by People, clients or developers:

1. In case of some critical issues, clients or developers some how manage the

authority for land use clearances for particular areas where development is

restricted for specific purpose.

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2. Peoples claimed that the files/plans are not approved properly and sites are not

inspected as per given parameters.

3. The unnecessary harassment or time killing or missing of specific files or put

objections on files are most common practice dealing the Authorized Sections.

The overall performance of this section is not up to the mark as mentioned by

the clients.

4. In some cases the process of plan or building construction approval or

clearance delayed due to some undefined circumstances and caused peoples to

take alternative solutions.

Problems identified by various Commissions, Committees, Reports and Comments:

1. According to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) report of July 2011,

RAJUK officials are using power to get illegal advantages and approved the

construction of the buildings.

2. According to priyodesk's blog on Friday, 16 November 2012, RAJUK has

violated its own land use policy by allotting land earmarked in the Detailed

Area Plan (DAP) as ‘open space’ to Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers’ and

Exporters’ Association to set up a university.

3. According to the comment of RAJUK present chairman Nurul Huda, the city

authority does not deal with ‘big issues’, pointing out that the inter-ministerial

committee was formed to deal with big matters though RAJUK is the capital

development authority.

4. Responding to public criticism that RAJUK is driving out only the poor

homeless from the lake area while sparing the influential grabbers.

5. RAJUK is an autonomous body with full authority to implement the Detailed

Area Plan (DAP). But the RAJUK chairman himself agrees that ‘RAJUK

alone cannot implement the DAP.’

6. The Subcommittee of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Housing and

Public Works Ministry has detected that some organizations are using the

plots in commercial purpose violating the rules and regulations of RAJUK.

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Recommendation-How to make RAJUK as an effective body:

Recommendation concerning power, plan and Acts:

1. Non-application and misuse of power as well as the limitations of Acts, rules and

regulations should be removed in order to increase the effectiveness of RAJUK.

2. The provision of Acts should be more clearly defined and implemented in

accordance with the details it contains. The process of approval of Acts should not

take a long time and it should be approved within the time mentioned in the

provision.

3. Areas of the city should have detailed plans, formal development and authorized

construction so that the lacking of plans could be removed. RAJUK should also

attempt more and more to generate local interest or activity for community

participation in planning.

4. The component- "Institutional Strengthening of RAJUK," of the Master Plan

should be considered by the concerned ministry and by RAJUK so that the plan

could be implemented properly by avoiding its obstacles.

5. The Detailed Area Plans (DAP) at the local levels taken by RAJUK should be

implemented in such a way that people will become much aware of the DAP and

its contents.

Recommendations concerning people, clients and developers:

1. The clients and developers should know and obey the restriction of development

in particular areas. The authority should not be convinced or managed by the

clients and developers and they should perform their duties according to the

requirements needed.

2. The files/plans should be approved properly and sites should be inspected as per

given parameters.

3. The process concerning RAJUK’s activities should be developed so that it will

consume lesser time as a result people will get ride of unnecessary harassment.

All files and objections of files must be kept with as much safety as possible and

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the overall performance of Authorized Section of RAJUK should be up to the

mark.

4. Priority should be given in sectoral plans and the preparation of integrated

development plans and building construction approval should be moderated so the

people need not to take any alternative solution.

Other Recommendations:

1. RAJUK officials must be honest in using power and they should be supervised

properly so that they will not be able to get any illegal advantages.

2. RAJUK must implement the Detailed Area Plans (DAP) as quickly as possible

without violating its own land and policy. If this plan will implement properly, the

effectiveness of RAJUK will be increased.

3. The city authority of RAJUK should deal with all issues that it supposed to deal

with.

4. RAJUK must make its plan, programs and activities more pro-poor. RAJUK

should give more stress on the welfare of poor and homeless people specially in

lack areas in terms of giving stress on influential grabbers.

5. Supervision in compulsory to stop the violation of rules and regulations of

RAJUK by any organizations or authority so that they will be restricted in using

the plots in commercial purpose.

Besides these-

1. RAJUK will need to construct roads and lanes as well as widen the existing ones.

2. RAJUK must increase its manpower. It must have adequate number of

professional and technical manpower worthy of executing planning functions for

this mega city.

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3. RAJUK must place total emphasis on its planning activities and quit land

development functions. RAJUK should also install sustainable capabilities to

prepare and implement such plans.

4. Zonal Offices of RAJUK is necessary. This could be merged with DCC's zonal

offices so that city planning and service management functions can work together

in coordination for the benefit of the city.

5. RAJUK has limited power for adopting legal measures dealing with building

control, which hinders its functions. Special laws have to be enacted to empower

RAJUK for planning and building control functions.

6. RAJUK should allot 50 percent of the land to low income groups for

rehabilitation of slum and squatter settlements. If this is done as an alternative to

eviction RAJUK will be doing a much better job of making Dhaka more livable at

the same time it will also become a more effective body.

Conclusion:

RAJUK deals with certain aspect of urban development problems like preparation of land

use plan, detail area plan and enforcement of town development regulations to control

unplanned development. It is a giant organization as regards capital input and

development activities. But its administrative structure, planning and co-ordination do not

support the scale at which it is working. The organization losses effectiveness in work

often because of corruption and a lack interdepartmental co-ordination. One common

allegation against RAJUK is its operations as an organization for serving the interest of

the people close to power and specially the members of the party in power. Projects take

so much time in implementing that flexibility study losses value at the time of their

implementation. In order to remove these problems, RAJUK should be substantially

reformed as indicated elsewhere in the paper for making its planning, infrastructure and

service providing, land development and development control more effective.

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Reference:

Supporting Urban Governance Reform; (April 2005), Final Report; ADB, p. 2-77, 2-79,

3-24

http://www.rajukdhaka.gov.bd/rajuk/aboutusHome, Accessed on 14/11/2012

http://www.rajukdhaka.gov.bd/rajuk/page/web/about/rajuk_organogram , Accessed on

14/11/12

http://forum.daffodilvarsity.edu.bd/index.php?

PHPSESSID=ldcoqlsq8n48qor7upgk55s7d6&topic=4560.0, Accessed on 15/11/2012

http://newstoday.com.bd/rss.xml, Accessed on 16/11/2012

http://news.priyo.com/sites/all/themes/framework/favicon.ico , Accessed on 16/11/2012

http://www.banglanews24.com/images/common/banglanews24.ico , Accessed on

17/11/2012

http://www.thedailystar.net/suppliments/2010/02/ds19/segment1/governance.htm ,

Accessed on 17/11/2012

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