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Indonesia recently declared that it would be moving its capital from Jakarta to a new city called Nusantara on the island of Borneo. Egypt also said it will build its new capital 45 kilometres east of Cairo.
High population density, high risks of flooding, depleting groundwater, economic redistribution as well as Jakarta’s long-term viability as capital were among some of the reasons cited by the Indonesia leading to the decision. While Cairo is strangled by often immovable traffic attributable to the very ministries and administrative buildings situated there.
The conditions in Jakarta or Cairo feel eerily similar to that of Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. Dhaka also faces gradually depleting groundwater, barely breathable air, and polluted lifelines beyond the hope of rescue and roads that seemingly remain clogged forever with traffic.
A capital city should ideally have a population of 6 to 7 million whereas Dhaka currently has a population of roughly 21.7 million people.
According to the Global Liveability Index 2021, the 400-year-old capital city of Bangladesh was the 4th least hospitable city in the world. Dhaka is simultaneously the 6th most densely populated city in the world, while Jakarta or Cairo are not even among the top 10.
Dhaka still serves as the most strategically suitable location for a capital city in Bangladesh:
Capital cities are of utmost importance as they protect the government in case of a foreign invasion and Dhaka being located in almost the centre of Bangladesh only reinforces that cause.
At the same time, capitals serve as a melting pot where members of all regions can come and look for employment with ease. Capital cities are also used to exert control and project unity all across the nation.
For these purposes, it is generally recommended that the capital is geographically situated somewhere central to the country and for Bangladesh, there is no place better than Dhaka.
More importantly, different countries shift their capital cities for different reasons and it is foolish to blindly follow their lead:
Indonesia is moving its capital city from Jakarta primarily because of its quickly depleting groundwater resources and high risk of flooding.
Egypt is shifting its capital because the military, which put the current government in power, stands to benefit from the construction and subsequent buying and selling of properties in the new city
Myanmar - a regime ruled by their military junta - also moved their administrative capital from Yangoon to Naypyidaw, mainly to shield the military regime from its people.
Moreover, it is extremely expensive to move the capital city from one place. For instance, it will reportedly cost Indonesia around $32 billion and Egypt around $45 billion each to rebuild their new capitals elsewhere.
To that end, Bangladesh will also have to conduct a thorough cost-benefit analysis before making any such drastic decisions.
Apart from moving the executive and legislative branches of the government, there are other ways to release pressure on Dhaka.
Bangladesh could also declare additional business capitals on top of Dhaka being the administrative capital of the country, to release pressure on the capital while also attracting businesses to the new capital.
While shifting the entire capital city might be difficult, it is less expensive and requires fewer logistics to develop the essential infrastructures in other major cities to facilitate decentralised development.
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