Another concrete jungle in the name of 'garden city'

Approximately one and a half kilometres from Shyamoli Square towards Shia Jame Masjid, along the Ring Road in Mohammadpur, you will first encounter the 10-storey Tokyo Square shopping mall on the right. This is followed by a cluster of high-rise buildings.

Enter through the Roman-styled entrance gate, sandwiched between the said shopping mall and the group of buildings, and you will have officially set foot inside Japan Garden City, the country's first satellite town.

You might expect, given the word "garden" in its name, that this satellite town would have some greenery in contrast to the concrete jungle sprawling throughout the rest of the city. However, it would be wise to shed those expectations. Because, as things stand, the interior is almost like the concrete ensemble you saw from the outside.

Dust, noise and everything congested

Japan Garden City now has an overall population of around 10,000 in an area of 9.78 acres. It has 26 buildings in total, each 15-16 storeys high, with the number of flats at over 1,600.

There is a lake in the middle of the complex but it resembles a dirty swamp. And the trees around are few and far between. There is not a single patch of grass-covered field, only concrete runways for vehicular movement.

Nahiyan Abrar, a third-year student at North South University has been living in Garden City since second grade at school. He had a "safer" childhood when compared to other areas in Mohammadpur, but that childhood wasn't always the most playful.

They didn't have a designated playground. Resorting to play on the often dust-covered concrete within the complex, and being wary of cricket balls or footballs damaging the parked vehicles, does not sound like much fun. It was the ongoing construction of the market and buildings all around, which made the complex especially dusty.

"Cycling was fun but then again, the driveway was the only spot," Abrar recalled.

Shamim Islam (not his real name) faced another problem. He relocated here with his family in 2010 after his SSC exam. However, due to constant noise pollution from vehicle horns and ongoing construction, he struggled to concentrate on his studies for the HSC exam.

So, he had no choice but to pass the evenings idly and only sit with books after 11 pm "when the outside noise would come down to a tolerable level."

Over the years, noise pollution has only increased, with at least three public bus companies establishing their starting point just outside Japan Garden City (JGC).

A lack of traffic control results in frequent traffic jams, prompting vehicles to honk incessantly in hopes of resolving the congestion. Also, constant promotional announcements in high volume from some brand showrooms across the road exacerbate the noise problem.

Nazma Sultana, a housewife living in one of the buildings in the middle part of the complex, expressed her frustration with the lack of sunlight and proper air circulation, which leaves her feeling depressed throughout the day.

"It always feels so dark here, as if it is going to rain soon. However, the overwhelming heat reminds you that the reality is much different," she said, noting that the distressing environment frequently impacts her mental well-being, occasionally causing her to lose her temper and behave rudely with her children.

But on other occasions, she feels rather sorry for her children that "they have to grow up in a place like this." According to her, even though there is a small park for kids now, it hardly makes any difference.

Photo: Mehedi Hasan

Not your regular garden or satellite city

The lived experience of the inhabitants are a stark contrast to the concept of a "garden city", upon which the development of Japan Garden City was based, by Japan Garden City Ltd, a Japan-Bangladesh Joint Venture Company, in 1999.

The concept of the "garden city" was first proposed by Ebenezer Howard, a British urban planner, in his book "To-morrow: A Peaceful Path to Real Reform," published in 1898. The concept emerged as a response to the overcrowding, pollution and social issues prevalent in rapidly industrialising cities.

Howard outlined his vision for planned communities that would combine the benefits of urban and rural living with an emphasis on green spaces, community cohesion and social equity. This laid the foundation for the garden city movement, which, in effect, influenced urban planning and development across the world in the 20th century.

Letchworth, founded by Howard and located in Hertfordshire, England, is often cited as the first garden city.

Some of the other examples of successful garden cities include Radburn, in New Jersey, United States; Tapiola in Finland; and Freiburg in Breisgau in Germany. Even India has several garden cities such as Rajarhat-New Town in Kolkata and Navi Mumbai in Mumbai.

Also, satellite cities in general have some common characteristics. According to Dr Farhadur Reza, Associate Professor of Environmental Planning and Management at Jahangirnagar University, a satellite city is a smaller urban centre near a large metropolitan city, featuring its local government and economy independent of the neighbouring large city.

While interconnected, there is a clear geographical distinction between the satellite city and the large parent city, often separated by a rural area. Despite being smaller in size, satellite cities are planned with essential amenities like schools and hospitals, and are connected to the parent city via efficient transport services. Additionally, they are often targeted for marketing by businesses alongside the larger cities nearby, and they often prioritise eco-friendly development.

Japan Garden City Ltd initially had similar plans, or at least that's what they claimed to attract customers. At the time, the developing company asserted that Japan Garden City would be a unique project—a modern satellite township boasting natural beauty.

The company proposed that only 43% of the total 30 bighas of land would be occupied by structures, while the remaining 57% would be adorned with greenery including gardens, a lake, parks, walkways, children's playgrounds and roads.

"That's such a farce. Where is the greenery? It's nothing more than an urban slum, perhaps slightly better than what they have in Korail," said a university teacher, who preferred to remain anonymous, fearing potential backlash from the flat owners' committee.

Another resident acknowledged that they can safely walk inside the complex every morning and evening, which is a significant advantage for her as a woman.

However, she doesn't think having a shopping mall nearby or other facilities just outside the housing complex means anything special in particular. "Nowadays, these are there in almost every neighbourhood of the city," she explained.

Meanwhile, the developing company also initially mentioned while selling the flats that the housing complex would include additional facilities like international standard English medium schools, well-equipped diagnostic centres, specialised doctor's chambers and clinics, gents and ladies gyms etc.

The promises made in the brochures allured many families, including Shamim's, to consider buying a flat here. "But even after all these years, those promises are yet to be fulfilled," Shamim said.

'A constant source of urban mismanagement'

According to some urban planning experts, Japan Garden City exemplifies the pitfalls of our urbanisation process. Dhaka, facing a genuine need for horizontal and compact settlements, viewed this satellite project as a potential solution. However, it has fallen short of addressing this need from the very onset.

"Instead, it has become a constant source of urban mismanagement for residents and the surrounding neighbourhood," said Dr Nazmul Huq, a sustainability researcher at the University of Applied Science, Cologne, Germany.

Adil Mohammed Khan, Executive Director of the Institute for Planning and Development (IPD), also shared similar sentiments.

Photo: Mehedi Hasan

According to him, the housing complex has not been designed and planned according to standard planning and guidelines. This project has also not been approved by Rajuk according to Detailed Area Plan (DAP) guidelines.

In addition, it has altered and deviated from its initial planning and design from its inception. Henceforth, open and green space has been drastically reduced from what had been planned initially.

A 2010 The Daily Star report reveals that Rajuk, as the planning authority, permitted the project as per the building construction rules of 1996 and approved revision three times.

Former Rajuk Chairman Md Nurul Huda at that time said Rajuk was responsible for any dubious approval process of the project in a densely populated area, and surely there had been hectic lobbying for it.

According to the Private Residential Land Development Rules 2004, the maximum allowable density is 350 persons per acre. Whereas the density of Japan Garden City is more than a thousand persons per acre, "which is unacceptable according to planning standards," said Dr Khan, also a Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at Jahangirnagar University. 

This is also why traffic, environment and other planning impacts are damaging the livability of the surrounding locality and community.

Furthermore, according to DAP, the population of around 10,000 requires community facilities and amenities like primary schools, playgrounds, parks, kitchen markets, libraries, community centres, etc. However, JGC does not have appropriate community facilities to cater to the demands of its residents.

Photo: Mehedi Hasan

"Ideally, block-based development ensures proper sunlight, air ventilation and a habitable, built environment. But these attributes are lacking in JGC as well," said Dr Khan.

Nevertheless, there is also one set of experts who are of the opinion that on the whole, Japan Garden City development is quite good compared to other private residential developments in Dhaka catering to the middle-income group.

One of them is Emeritus Professor Nazrul Islam of Dhaka University, also the Chairman of Centre for Urban Studies (CUS). He believes that JGC could have done better in terms of more facilities for children, improved amenities for housewives and better safety, security measures, alongside providing additional open space, greenery and trees.

But "overall, Japan Garden City is reasonably commendable, especially considering Dhaka City's uncontrolled development," he commented.

Irregularities galore

In 2010, a fire on Building 6 in Japan Garden City killed seven people, including two children. At the time, occupants of some flats claimed that even though there had been fire alarm systems, there had been no equipment to douse flames.

There have been many other reports of irregularities against Japan Garden City as well.

For example, in 2012, the Department of Environment (DoE)  fined Japan Garden City Ltd Tk26 lakh for constructing buildings without environment clearance certificates.

DoE at the time stated in a press release that back in 2001, the DoE gave the company placement clearance against only one apartment. But, the company constructed 26 buildings in the area, without taking environment clearance certificates for any.

Another study conducted in 2012 revealed that according to civil engineers, several safety issues had been overlooked since the inception of the construction of Japan Garden City.

According to the study, the land on which the housing complex is situated was originally a water-based area, and it was reclaimed by filling the wetland with outside soil. In such areas, the outside soil typically requires some time to consolidate properly to support buildings.

However, in the case of Japan Garden City, the soil was not adequately tested. The stability and load-bearing capacity of the soil were not thoroughly examined either.

Meanwhile, the project, initially a joint venture between Japan and Bangladesh with the aim of completion by 2004, faced disruption when local residents coerced the Japanese partners to sell off their shares due to intimidation and extortion, shared Selim Zaman, who previously served as the Vice President of the central committee of the founding flat owners' society. At the time, construction of 23 buildings was nearing completion.

Despite already owning flats elsewhere in Dhaka, many affluent families were drawn to book flats in Japan Garden City throughout the 2000s, enticed by the ambitious promises and the prospect of obtaining improved civic amenities.

Shahadat Hossain (not his real name) is a member of one such family. His father had booked the flat in 2002, and he has been living here since 2007 with his family because of the "generally uninterrupted connection of electricity, gas and water."

However, they have to pay a high price for that. According to Hossain, electricity in this housing complex is much more expensive than most other residential areas in Dhaka.

He and his wife provided an example, stating that in both October and November of last year, their electricity bill exceeded Tk5,000. Even though they were not in their flat in December, the bill amounted to Tk1,500 just for some electric appliances, such as two refrigerators.

Shahadat also noted that "during the peak summer times, the electricity bill can go up to Tk9,000 approximately."

Overall, some flat owners claimed that in spite of living in their own flats, they have to spend around Tk15,000 on various utility bills and fees, including water, gas and internet. With this budget, one could easily rent a two-bedroom flat in some other areas of Mohammadpur.

Upon visiting the housing complex's maintenance office, operated by Japan Garden City Ltd, the manager, Syed Jamal, explained that the high electricity prices are due to the neighbourhood's electricity being connected to a special 33/11 kv electrical substation. This connection now costs every unit over Tk10.

"It's because of this special electricity connection that the residents in Japan Garden City don't have to endure load shedding," Jamal explained. He also mentioned that although the company considered shifting to a regular electricity connection a few years ago, the flat owners' committee ultimately opted to retain the special connection.

Jamal further asserted, as also stated on the official website of Japan Garden City Ltd, that although there is a maintenance team from the developing company, the primary control is vested in the flat owners' committee. They are now responsible for making key decisions regarding the housing complex.

However, conversations with several residents of the housing complex revealed that they have numerous complaints against the flat owners' committee. They claim that the society only works in its own interest, leaving many of the problems faced by general flat owners and residents unaddressed.

Photo: Mehedi Hasan

Selim Zaman elaborated that each building has an elected building committee. This committee nominates two members to represent them on the central committee, with the consent of the meeting.

Subsequently, these central members are elected to roles such as president and vice president of the central committee through another election process.

The term of the most recent flat owners' committee expired in March, and the next election is scheduled for June. In the meantime, there is a five-member caretaker committee in place to oversee the proceedings of the committee.

However, when approached to discuss the overall situation of the housing society, both the convener of the caretaker committee, Md Akhteruzzaman Talukder, and member secretary Mofizul Haque Mintu, declined to provide any comment.

We also contacted Md Wahiduzzaman, Managing Director of Japan Garden City Ltd, as well as the President of Real Estate and Housing Association Bangladesh (Rehab), via email, seeking their comments regarding the complaints.

Md Maksudur Rahman, Marketing Manager of Japan Garden City Ltd, provided us with a written response, claiming all the accusations were "wholly and absolutely untrue," and that "the city has been designed and built keeping 57% open spaces, including gardens, park etc."