Slum dwellers will double in 30 years

Habibullah Mizan
Staff reporter
The New Nation,
Dhaka, Bangladesh

The slum dwellers of the country will double by the next thirty years if the objective of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) is not fulfilled, said speakers at a discussion meeting yesterday.

According to MDG, at least one crore slum dwellers are to be brought under viewable development by the end of 2015.

Expressing their concern over the existing deteriorating situation in the slum areas in different cities of the country, they urged the government to take initiatives for readdressing the situation.

They urged the government to formulate a national policy and take proper steps to ensure shelters of the slum dwellers in the major cities of the country.

They were speaking at a discussion meeting marking the International Habitat Day organised by the Coalition for the Urban Poor (CUP) in the city yesterday.

Dr Prof Nurul Islam Nazem, General Secretary, Center For Urban Studies (CRU) said, though the slum people are contributing a lot to the economy of the country, they are still living in inhuman condition.
‘‘Until and unless the discrimination between the poor and the rich are not removed, development is not possible,’’ Prof Islam observed.

CUP Executive Director Mostafa Kaium Khan said the fundamental rights of the slum dwellers for getting shelters are not yet met.
If their shelters are not ensured, a safe city will not be possible.

Presided over by CUP Executive Director Mostafa Kaium Khan, Rafiqul Islam, Fatema Akter, Momtaz Akter, Abdur Rashid, Abdul Mannan, and Kazi Baby, among others, participated in the discussion.

Fatema Akter in her speech said, though each year we celebrate the International Habitat Day, no outcome actually come and we do not get benefits.
Abdur Rashid alleged that all give us promises but nobody keep that promises.
Rafiqul Islam said with the prevailing discrimination in the society, we cannot expect development.

The progamme followed by children arts competition.

mizandeshi@yahoo.com