Keeping in view to ensure a uniform development across the country, the government has undertaken a massive initiative for development of all the upazilas. The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives has instructed the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) to prepare a complete master plan within next six months to bring all the remote areas of the country under development initiatives, said officials.
Sources concerned said the local government ministry undertook the initiative as per the instruction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this regard, local government minister Tajul Islam told the media that, “The initiative has been taken following prime minister’s instruction for proper implementation of ‘My Village, My Town’ Project. The project styled ‘Upazila-based Masterplan Formulation’ has been undertaken with an aim to make the best use of all the land areas of the country.”
He hoped implementation of the project will drastically change the scenario of the remotest corners of the country. Sources said, though the City Corporation had already formulated a master plan for the overall development of the district, including the municipality or the divisional city, there was no such plan at the upazila level. For the first time, the government is preparing a master plan for the overall development of the present and future of upazila level.
This master plan will be created like the developed world with the help of foreign technology. The government will formulate and implement a separate master plan for remote areas. This plan will be made to work simultaneously in all parts of the country. Sources of the local government ministry said as it would take a long time to prepare upazila-based master plans separately, for the first time in the country, together with the foreign technical assistance and local experts, a master plan will be prepared for all over Bangladesh.
The government wants to implement the plan by 2030. Accordingly, the master plan will be implemented in phases. The overall master plan will be managed by the functioning committee of the Upazila Parishad. Although the law of the upazila-based master plan is to be enacted, it has not been implemented for many years. Initiatives have been taken to implement this plan for the first time.
There will be an executive committee of the upazila parishad for the proper implementation of the plan as per local government law. The committee that will monitor the implementation of the plan in its upazila will be properly monitored. Beyond this master plan, no person or institution, even the government itself, will be able to make any kind of establishment or implement any decision.
In addition, building or playground will be constructed according to the master plan. The process of formulating the master plan across the country will begin soon.