Dhaka will beat Kolkata by a big margin

[mahbub2011]

Currently 3 largest cities of Bengal:

1) Kolkata

2) Dhaka

3) Chittagong


We will see the change in order in next 5 years:

1) Dhaka

2) Kolkata

3) Chittagong

In 20 years it will be like:

1) Dhaka

2) Chittagong

3) Kolkata

I live in New York. Originally from Dhaka. I am a true bengali in heart. Wish Kolkata all the best as well.

[Neel Here]

http://banglacricket.com/alochona/sh...ad.php?t=13224

6 years on, it will be interesting to see a similar comparison now.

these are the skyscrapercity pages for the two cities.
dhaka http://www.skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=929
kolkata http://www.skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1233

[Akib]

Originally Posted by mahbub2011
Currently 3 largest cities of Bengal:

1) Kolkata

2) Dhaka

3) Chittagong


We will see the change in order in next 5 years:

1) Dhaka

2) Kolkata

3) Chittagong

In 20 years it will be like:

1) Dhaka

2) Chittagong

3) Kolkata

I live in New York. Originally from Dhaka. I am a true bengali in heart. Wish Kolkata all the best as well.

What are you ranking by? Population? Pollution? City Size? I'm confused at the point of this thread?

[Neel Here]

it was originally posted as reply to this http://banglacricket.com/alochona/sh...ad.php?t=13224

[ammark]

Well, tbh, I'm hardpressed to say Dhaka is any better than it was 6 years ago. There's more construction without adequate planning and more population density than then. But more importantly, there has been hardly any massive infrastructure improvement in Dhaka. The traffic jams are much worse, the slums have more people, the gas supply is erratic, power supply is still at breaking point, and no mass transit system in place. All the things that the Caretaker Govt wished for remains unfulfilled. In 2005, it was unheard of to be in a traffic jam between Uttara and Kakoli. Now it takes 1 and a half hours on Friday (weekend) evenings to cover that distance!

In comparison to Kolkata, we havent tried preserving the old airy buildings and public spaces from the days of the Raj either that gives Kolkata its charms. Kolkata has also invested heavily in Salt Lake and the areas next to the East Kolkata Wetlands. We have nothing of that sort in Dhaka. At best GrameenPhone, IUB and NSU at Bashundhara exist, causing immense traffic delays on Bishwa Road every day.

some pics of Kolkata here.

[bangla-red]

Originally Posted by ammark
Well, tbh, I'm hardpressed to say Dhaka is any better than it was 6 years ago. There's more construction without adequate planning and more population density than then. But more importantly, there has been hardly any massive infrastructure improvement in Dhaka. The traffic jams are much worse, the slums have more people, the gas supply is erratic, power supply is still at breaking point, and no mass transit system in place. All the things that the Caretaker Govt wished for remains unfulfilled. In 2005, it was unheard of to be in a traffic jam between Uttara and Kakoli. Now it takes 1 and a half hours on Friday (weekend) evenings to cover that distance!

In comparison to Kolkata, we havent tried preserving the old airy buildings and public spaces from the days of the Raj either that gives Kolkata its charms. Kolkata has also invested heavily in Salt Lake and the areas next to the East Kolkata Wetlands. We have nothing of that sort in Dhaka. At best GrameenPhone, IUB and NSU at Bashundhara exist, causing immense traffic delays on Bishwa Road every day.

some pics of Kolkata here.

I've only been to Dhaka once (when I was 8, so I don't have clear memories), but has the city increased in size significantly or are more people taking up whatever space there is left?

[Neel Here]

the good thing that has happened to kolkata is the electricity situation. we do have some problems in summer but still far less than some of the other metros like b'lore and hyderabad. in the last 6 months we have had 2 instances of load shedding that I know of. once for an hour and the other time for half that. I still remember with dread the days from 80's and 90's when we used to have daily powercuts !

the transport situation has definitely improved with the planned expansion of the metro line1 finally completed and work on line2 begun in earnest. which incidentally will feature a stretch under the hoogly river, first in India. I was in delhi recently and it's incredible how a well planned and expanded metro system has taken the load off the road transport system. I remember very little traffic jam compared to the last time I was there, about a decade back. there is a political fight going on over who will control kolkata metro line2 which might still goof it up. pollution levels have come down as the entire auto-ricksaw fleet of the city has been converted to CNG. the old smoky buses have been mostly taken off the road as well, thankfully. still a long way to go but I'll take what we got.

I don't personally consider shopping malls as a sign of progress but one good effect of those mushrooming virtually everywhere is that people from the suburbs no longer have to come to esplanade or park street in kolkata to shop. they get what they want near enough to where they live thus reducing the clogging of the city itself. there is a planned spreading out of kolkata going on which should make the city more livable, provided the politicians allow it !

[mahbub2011]

Originally Posted by ammark
Well, tbh, I'm hardpressed to say Dhaka is any better than it was 6 years ago. There's more construction without adequate planning and more population density than then. But more importantly, there has been hardly any massive infrastructure improvement in Dhaka. The traffic jams are much worse, the slums have more people, the gas supply is erratic, power supply is still at breaking point, and no mass transit system in place. All the things that the Caretaker Govt wished for remains unfulfilled. In 2005, it was unheard of to be in a traffic jam between Uttara and Kakoli. Now it takes 1 and a half hours on Friday (weekend) evenings to cover that distance!

In comparison to Kolkata, we havent tried preserving the old airy buildings and public spaces from the days of the Raj either that gives Kolkata its charms. Kolkata has also invested heavily in Salt Lake and the areas next to the East Kolkata Wetlands. We have nothing of that sort in Dhaka. At best GrameenPhone, IUB and NSU at Bashundhara exist, causing immense traffic delays on Bishwa Road every day.

some pics of Kolkata here.

Few projects for Dhaka:

1) Jatrabari Gulistan Flyover

2) Kuril flyover

3) 32 km elevated expressway

4) subway

5) Purbachal - will be huge.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWfUzByz6as

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UZ5a6nhqR4

Kolkata is being developed at faster rate at the moment but it cannot compete with Dhaka in the long run for sure. Dhaka beats Kolkata even right now in some areas. Once foreign investment starts pouring we will be humbled...

[Neel Here]

what's the song in your video ?

[ammark]

Again, the very things listed in #8 it is the process that I'm pessimistic about:

1. Jatrabari-Gulistan flyover, and parts of it were started during the last AL govt time around 2000. Till date it is not complete, thanks to political fighting and overall incompetence everywhere.

2. The Subway system was planned and contracted out to Hong Kong's MTR back in 2007, but it was stalled after changeover of government until Dec 2010 when it was contracted out to some other party. Thats 3 years (and tons of money) lost.

Its better late than never that those 5 projects are being done, but the way these things are handled in our country are immensely inept and incompetent. For example Bangabandhu International Airport is a complete white elephant project for a poor country like Bangladesh. Also Purbachal's allotment system and development has not turned out to be favourable to the common citizen, as much as it has been for people of influence and power.

All the private companies that are trying to feed off Purbachal's development by building their own projects next to it are very dodgy indeed - no one can guarantee you that the plot you are buying actually will be registered in that company's name ready for handover at delivery date. I would hate to buy a plot to find out that there will be no electricity line or building permit because of a court case on land ownership. Also the 15 ft- 40ft roads planned are inadequate for the size of population that will need to be accomodated there.

I'm not saying that Dhaka city isnt expanding or improving, but at the same time the expansion is not being handled with foresight and sincere political will. The challenges that come up inbetween is what will define whether Dhaka is successful or not in its growth. I'm sure Kolkata had the same problems too, but it is inspiring to see the meteoric and systematised growth of it beside Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi-Gurgaon, etc

[mahbub2011]

Originally Posted by Neel Here
what's the song in your video ?

song name - ichche ghuri

Band name - shironamhin

[Neel Here]

thanks ! nice song.

here's a list of kolkata flyovers from 2009. couple more have been opened recently.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1025417

[BANFAN]

You have no idea about Kolkata. Calcutta was a mess in 80s. But when i saw new Kolkata in 2003, it was completely a different city. All the rail crossings within the city had been removed, many flyovers, trums reduced .... have made it a smooth city. Metro made the life of people even smoother.

Dhaka on the otherhand is still strugling to remove the level crossings and fly overs are almost non existent. Traffic wise, it cannot be called a near modern city (2003- as i saw last).

Well dhaka offers some excellent restaurants, shopping center, costly highrises etc that Kolkata cant beat. But by my knowledge of 2003, i can guarrantee, Dhaka won't beat Kolkata as a city, any time soon. if they at all do.

[Neel Here]

err banfan bhai, are you sure about the resturants, shopping malls or highrises ? you might be surprised. I am pretty certain I would get virtually all popular cuisines here. of course we always had a chinatown so chinese food would be quite authentic.
a glance at some of the hotels and resturants in kolkata, mainly the former. http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showth...079623&page=11

I would admit that kolkata malls are likely smaller than those in dhaka but the reason is development is centralized around dhaka. here there are numerous large malls (but not as massive as basundhara ) all throughout the city as well as in the rest of the state.

I remember the mason who was building our house, back in 2005 was preparing to go home over id. I expected him to pick up gifts from the local malls and said likewise. he said he didn't need to, he would get pretty same quality stuff at the shopping mall near his small town ! and this was in a desolate rural area of murshidabad district !

p.s. thanks to this thread I checked up on the work on metro. apparently lines 3 and 4 have been sanctioned and one of those would pass within 5 minutes walking distance of my home.

[Habib]

Well one thing is for certain, Dhaka is not nearly as cosmopolitan as Kolkata.

[bujhee kom]

Habib thik boleche!^

Kolkata-e Chinatown ache, Dhaka has chinese restaurants.
Dhakae ache Old Dhaka! Kolkata has no Old Dhaka!

Dhaka-Kolkata bhai bhai!
Amader moddhe kono jhogra nai!
Dhaka (older) boro bhai, Kolkata choto bhai.

[Neel Here]

BK dada sostae jomir khoj ache naki apnar kache ?

[bujhee kom]

Originally Posted by Neel Here
BK dada sostae jomir khoj ache naki apnar kache ?

hold on Neel! searching right now...

[Night_wolf]

Originally Posted by Neel Here
it was originally posted as reply to this http://banglacricket.com/alochona/sh...ad.php?t=13224

that thread is closed..and i couldn't find ur post

anyway on topic:there are no comparison between the 3 cities...each of them are unique in their own way..

[Neel Here]

I was referring to the opening post and trying to clear Akib's confusion.

[BANFAN]

Originally Posted by Habib
Well one thing is for certain, Dhaka is not nearly as cosmopolitan as Kolkata.

Infact Dhaka is much more cosmopolitan than Kolkata. Dhaka offers much wider varietues in everything to a wider variety of population.

Kolkata, on the other hand is more traditional and not nearly as much multidimensional as Dhaka is. All for the right reasons. Dhaka being the capital of a country and Kolkata being a state capital ... some differences are bound to be naturally created.

Neel Bhai, I was talking about the Markets not availability of materials. That's one good thing Kolkata has, even in a brocken New Market shop you get a good variety of items to buy.

in late 90s or around 2000, Kolkata had the market called A/C Market. Until then New Market was the only big market. well there are shops everywhere. But this AC Market wasn't even compareabe to Eastern Plaza or Eskaton Gardens etc etc. Kolkata probably due to the left party in power, did never look for luxarious shopping malls, instead keeping the goods cheap was more of a priority. In Bangladesh people preffered to pay a bit more for a better environment of the Market. Materialistically that doesnt make sense but then consumers embraced better places knowing that it will cost him more.

[Neel Here]

Infact Dhaka is much more cosmopolitan than Kolkata. Dhaka offers much wider varietues in everything to a wider variety of population.

Kolkata, on the other hand is more traditional and not nearly as much multidimensional as Dhaka is. All for the right reasons. Dhaka being the capital of a country and Kolkata being a state capital ... some differences are bound to be naturally created.

in my view all modern cities in open societies are cosmopolitan to varying degrees. but I'm not sure what your criterion is to consider a city more traditional or multidimensional than another. although I do know dhaka is cosmopolitan, you would hardly attribute that to just being the capital of a country. I mean ulan bator is a capital city as well but I seriously doubt it ranks higher than either dhaka or kolkata in these aspects.

Neel Bhai, I was talking about the Markets not availability of materials. That's one good thing Kolkata has, even in a brocken New Market shop you get a good variety of items to buy.

bhai, I was talking of markets as well, not just availability.
the point was that quality shopping malls were not restricted to kolkata and therefore the business rationale for giant malls are less than in dhaka.
moreover, BD wealth is very dhaka kendrik, everyone who is someone has at least some regular connection with dhaka, whether an apartment in the city or they visit regularly. I would say that the total wealth of dhakaites is quite a bit more than that of kolkatans. here the wealth is more spread out around the state.

in late 90s or around 2000, Kolkata had the market called A/C Market. Until then New Market was the only big market. well there are shops everywhere. But this AC Market wasn't even compareabe to Eastern Plaza or Eskaton Gardens etc etc. Kolkata probably due to the left party in power, did never look for luxarious shopping malls, instead keeping the goods cheap was more of a priority. In Bangladesh people preffered to pay a bit more for a better environment of the Market. Materialistically that doesnt make sense but then consumers embraced better places knowing that it will cost him more.

you are almost correct about the supermarket situation back in 90's although there were a sight more than 2 (5-6 more like). I would say you are correct about the reason too, leftist activism more than any reluctance by people to pay for ambience.
that was then.
the mall scene in kolkata started slowly picking up by mid 90's, about 5 years behind the rest of India (mainly due to political climate) and absolutely skyrocketed post 2000. now there would be at least 30-40 major malls and at least a hundred smaller ones. including a number of specialised ones for food, electronics, apparel (obviously), building materials and so on. so many have popped up in the last few years that it is impossible for anyone other than a shopaholic to keep track of all of them. and I am not one.