I have been living in Dhaka for more than forty years and I got the opportunity to see the changes in this city. In the past some places were calmer with less traffic and today I have the impression of being in a completely different place. So what hasn't changed? I would say it is the way of treating rubbish. It is possible to see food wrappers or plastic bottles lying around a busy street. I do understand that authorities decision to fine people who toss trash on the ground and for every citizen has the responsibility to keep the place clean. Personally I would not throw my garbage on the street and then complain because this results in a dirty city.
But I also think that there should be a difference between ordinary citizens and businesses. For example, companies can generate much more waste as a result of their activity and this should be taken into account. Also, it seems that businesses have more opportunities to manage their waste in an appropriate way.
If you check Dhaka's state in recent time then I would say we suffer from frequent floods and those who have been living here for a long time know how bad it can be. We don't have boats when there's a flood and everyone seems to struggle to go to work. Even though the city is developing still rainfall is not filtered. You may see dirty water and waste floating in the water. As result periodic evacuations of garbage from the city can be seen.
Also I knoe that companies playing an active role in the local economy should be held accountable for their contribution to the environmental pollution in Dhaka. They should make sure that their employees are following all regulations and use special sites for waste management. An ordinary citizen rarely has such opportunities and for me, it seems unfair to hold him/her to the same standards. I do not mean that businesses should be treated equally. Taxation policies and cheap labor attract various companies to outsource their production to Bangladesh. They are interested in further developing the country and creating better working conditions for their employees. For profit organizations do not exist to serve the state they exist to make money. So the profit seeking behavior of businesses indicates their willingness to cause as little damage as possible to the environment, to the population and to themselves.
I think we shuld move on from empty slogans to actual results. Yes, fine those who toss their garbage on the streets of Dhaka but at the same time we should hold accountable those who use the city for their own purposes and then leave. We also need to stop blaming the poor people because mostly rich people are throwing the dirt and poor people are cleaning it. It's not about being poor or rich it's about being sensible. How can we dirty the place we have to live in? That's it for today.
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