Dhaka is one of the most populous megacities of the world. Established by the Mughals in the early seventeenth century, the city had many ups and downs. Since the Liberation of Bangladesh in 1971, the country's capital and the primate city, Dhaka has experienced very rapid growth and the consequent problems of meeting the demands of employment, housing, transportation, utilities, health, education and other social services, law and order situation, environmental sustainability, govemance and cultural issues. Dhaka is now characterised as a city predominated by the informal sector and a huge migrant poor population playing their roles in the metamorphosis of the city.
Dhaka From City to Megacity: Perspectives on People, Places, Planning, Development, Governance and Cultural Issues is an anthology of 34 scholarly papers on the city covering these issues. The papers were earlier published at home and abroad during 1964-2024. The present collection is the Enlarged Second Edition of the 1996 First Edition of the book. Written by a perceptive urban observer and an ardent researcher, Emeritus Professor Nazrul Islam, the book offers insights into the urban dynamics and developmental problems of Dhaka of the present and its prospects in the future.
