DS
This might be indirectly linked to the ongoing SAARC debacle.
Also happens to be my pet peeves-i.e bad landscaping.
yeah it's my livelihood-i mean good landscaping.
Anyway, when I was in Dhaka a few months back I saw the beautification projects throughout Dhaka in full swing. At first I though -what a marvellous endeavour- we are going to have all these new trees and plants and the concrete is going to be tamed for good. No and unfortunately, i left with a dim view of what was going on. Although you had to praise a noble effort, it was the sheer lack of common sense that struck me as ponted out in this DS feature. It was just another evidence of the "outward" gestures that seem to be takjing shape in every facet of BD society.
It also seems like the powers that be want to copy wholesale what they see in Singapore and Dubai, but fail to appreciate or value what we have in Bangladesh-a land with probably the best soil in the world . A natural condition as a result of the delta geography that can only be denied by colossal ignorance..
But on the bright side - it is heartening to hear more and more concern about the environment which is gaining ground back in BD.
I qoute some interesting parts:
Quote:
|
Many rue over the fact that Dhaka has changed in just the opposite direction. "It was a beautiful green city, sometimes easily mistaken for a village," Bartly Bart wrote in his book, Romance of an Eastern Capital, in 1914.There is little romance left in today's Dhaka. There are no immediate plans, let alone cosmetic jobs, which may revive some of its lost character.
|
Quote:
|
Islam believes that there are two concepts regarding such beautification projects; one that thrives on a 'deliberate natural look' and the other that is 'ornamental'. It is the latter that is currently being implemented in Dhaka.
|
Quote:
|
As for his belief in total planning, Islam argues that the British Dhaka that consisted of Nilkhet, Ramna and Baily Road is the testimony to how beautiful a planned city can be; the Ramna area still is the most functional and visually interesting part of Dhaka. "It was during the early 1900s that areas were developed and 'permanent trees' were planted in clusters and on roadsides. Scopes for wider road as well as pedestrian pathways were also planned. After 100 years the trees are still standing. I don't see these kinds of permanent plans in the DCBC project," he points out.
|
Quote:
|
"Singapore has a history of 200 years, and the city tries to treasure it. Dhaka has a history of more than five hundred years, yet it has utterly failed in protecting its history. Restoration of Ahsan Manzil was a commendable job,
|
Edited on, February 3, 2005, 8:17 PM GMT, by oracle.