Social Dimension of Involuntary Resettlement in Urban Development Project: A Case Study of Dhaka Urban Transport Project

Abstract

Development projects especially infrastructure projects, though curried out fo r
overall progress o f the citizens o f a country, tend to have certain adverse
impacts in terms o f involuntary displacement o f people in the process o f their
implementation. Development projects should not adversely affect the people fo r
whom these are meant. A disciplined effort to understand the specific features o f
urban resettlement would help in designing operational policies, strategies, and
procedures that are compatible with the socioeconomic and political relations o f
the urban context. As Bangladesh continues on its infrastructure development
programmes, the issue o f involuntary resettlement and rehabilitation may well
assume and even greater importance in future, despite its having faced specific
problems like high density o f population, land scarcity, resource constraints and
limited institutional capacity. This study will provide an insight into the problem
o f resettlement. This article had attempted to unveil the social, economic and
political issues related to the resettlement o f the Project Affected Persons (PAPs)
under Dhaka Urban Transport Project. Tins article indicates how the project
affected persons were compelled to fa ll under poverty line due to losing their
well established business and regular income sources which ultimately
delaminate their social status as well.