Evaluating the Policy Outcomes for Urban Resiliency in Informal Settlements Since Independence in Dhaka, Bangladesh: A Review

Abstract

Today’s cities are characterized by the process of urbanization, which in most cases is integrated with the escalation of informal settlements due to excessive migration followed by a housing crisis. This is a common situation for most cities in developing countries, such as Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. Dhaka has emerged as one of the fastest growing megacities in recent times, which receives a major number of rural to urban migrants annually due to its growth as the major economic hub of Bangladesh. Dhaka has one of the largest populations among all global cities, which results in a critical challenge for urban areas that are experiencing very fast growing slum and squatter settlements. Considering the global concern toward urban resiliency, several policy approaches such as eviction, resettlement, and upgrading have been adopted to deal with slum (bastee) settlements of Dhaka since independence in 1972. The objective of this study is to analyse these adopted policies chronologically by reviewing the policy outcomes of other South Asian countries. The study follows a theoretical analysis from secondary resources and finally makes a summary of different policies and their outcomes.