Hundreds of unauthorised factories in the inner-city areas must be relocated to improve the capital's traffic congestion and pollution levels, claim experts.

Professor Nazrul Islam, a noted urban researcher, said, “Relocating the garment and tannery industries will significantly help improve the city's messed-up transport situation.”

A survey relating to Dhaka's Detailed Area Plan (DAP) shows 12,206 manufacturing industrial buildings occupy 1,528 square kilometres in the area under Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan (DMDP).

This contravenes DMDP (1995-2015), which clearly prohibits any industrial buildings in the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) area since it was approved in 1997.

Over two million garment workers are also living within the DMDP area.

Nazrul Islam, also chairman of University Grants Commission, claims this figure is too high.

Dr Ishrat Islam, assistant professor of urban and regional planning at Buet, said relocating factories will not only relieve the capital's congested roads, but will also provide the workers with better living standards.

She said the foremost reason behind the garment workers' unrest is the deplorable standard of living in shanty towns.

She urges the government to establish industrial parks with housing, educational and medical facilities.

Professor Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, a noted civil engineer and transport expert, said most of the industrial workers travel to work along the main roads on foot. As there is often no designated pedestrian footpath, this contributes to traffic congestion.

Faruque Hassan, vice-president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), told The Daily Star at a workshop on November 1 that at least 1,000 of 4,800 BGMEA members operate factories at the heart of the city.

“We want to relocate the units out of the capital. But we cannot get gas or electricity supplies outside,” he said.

Shaheen Ahmed, president of Bangladesh Tanners Association, said 65,000 workers are employed at 194 tanning units at the city's Hazaribagh tannery estate.

The High Court ruled that tanneries must be shifted to Savar by February 2010, and the industries ministry has handed over 154 plots to the tanners there. However, the tanners are asking for more time to negotiate with the government on compensation.

According to a DAP survey, 526 industrial units were set up in the DMP area between 1997 and 2005.

AKM Alamgir Kabir Dewan, who did his master's thesis at Buet on industrial distribution and trends, said until 2005, there were 1,120 industrial units in the DMP area, while the number of those set up in the DMDP area between 1997 and 2005 was 998.

DMDP earmarks Savar municipality, Dhaka EPZ, Gazipur and Tongi as special incentive zones for industrialisation.

Abdul Kader Chowdhury of the Public Works Department division-2 (Dhanmondi) said a government survey found that 147 residential plots in Dhanmondi have been turned into commercial premises, while 261 are being partially used for commercial purposes.

Delwar Hossain Dulal, vice-president of Gulshan Society, said there are at least 100 factories in Gulshan's residential area.

“An unauthorised industrial unit is set up in connivance with DCC, Rajuk, Desa, Wasa and Titas Gas officials,” he said.

DCC has not issued any fresh trade licences in designated residential areas since 2007, following the caretaker government's decision to halt new trade in those areas.

Prof Sarwar Jahan, president of Bangladesh Institute of Planners, said the DMDP structure plan deems industries and factories in the areas in or near the centre of Dhaka city unacceptable.

Environmentalist Prof Muzaffer Ahmad said Dhaka's 1954 master plan was designed to protect the residential areas from commercial and industrial invasion. But it has failed in its purpose.