ন্যায্য নগর ইশতেহার
Fair Urban Charter 2024
Download the event handbook
Venue: PIB Auditorium, Dhaka
Address
3 Circuit House Road, Dhaka- 1000
PABX: 41032925
Fax: 880-02-41032914
E-mail: dg@pib.gov.bd, dgpib@yahoo.com
Website: www.pib.gov.bd
Food & Refreshments
Breakfast and Lunch will be provided throughout all the days of the Session. Teas, coffees and snacks will be provided at intervals throughout the session.
Point of contact
Please feel free to use the following contacts in case of any issues.
Khalid Saifullah
Focal Person
Fair Urban Charter 2024
01521255991
saifullahkhalid046@gmail.com
Event introduction
Following the July 2024 Uprising, there is a strong public demand to reform Bangladesh’s constitution. The original 1972 Constitution was drafted when the country was predominantly rural. However, as of 2024, over 40% of Bangladesh's population lives in urban areas, a figure projected to grow significantly over the next 50 years. Urbanism has become a dominant aspiration across all social classes regardless of location. Therefore, the constitutional reform process must directly address Bangladesh’s urban reality.
The reformed constitution must consider how our cities, towns, and settlements are managed and the injustices faced by residents in their daily lives. In the urban century, Right to a Fair Urban Life is a fundamental right. The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to which Bangladesh has committed, promotes inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities. We define the Right to a Fair Urban Life (ন্যায্য নগরজীবনের অধিকার) as the right of all inhabitants—present and future, permanent and temporary—to inhabit, use, occupy, produce, transform, govern, and enjoy cities, towns, and human settlements that are just, inclusive, safe, sustainable, and democratic, conceived as common goods to ensure a life of dignity and peace.
Currently, only a privileged few in our cities have access to basic services, public spaces, and green areas, while millions lack equitable access to housing, transportation, and essential amenities. In response to this inequality, we call upon concerned citizens, activists, and professionals to claim their right to a fair urban life. We must deliberate on the necessary changes to our Constitution, legal frameworks, institutions, and collective civil society efforts to achieve fairness in all our cities, towns, and settlements.
To this end, we launched a nationwide digital participation campaign titled শহরটা কারো বাপের না (The City Belongs to All), gathering diverse aspirations, desires, and suggestions for a fair and sustainable urban Bangladesh. Building on these citizens’ aspirations, we are holding a public forum, ন্যায্য নগর ইশতেহার (Fair Urban Charter 2024). The forum and associated activities will facilitate broader public and civil society dialogues based on key themes emerging from our campaign. Through these dialogues, we aim to formulate the tenets of the Fair Urban Charter, a citizen’s charter reflecting the collective aspirations of the people. This Charter will be officially submitted to the Constitutional Reform Committee established by the current Interim Government, expecting its key aspects to be integrated into the new constitution.
This event is organized by
River & Delta Research Centre
RDRC is a leading organization conducting cutting-edge research in water resources, sustainability, and urban development. RDRC conducts, coordinates, and integrates multi-disciplinary research to address critical national, regional, and transboundary priorities (GBM and HKH basin countries) in water resources, urban transformation, and sustainable development issues.
Just Urban
A platform that centers social justice in urban issues and creates a collective space for different ways of thinking about the cities, towns, and settlements keeping equity in mind. The platform brings together urban and regional professionals as well as residents, activists, community leaders, and grassroots organizations.
Co-organized by
Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB)
The Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB) is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting People's Republic of Bangladesh.
Mission Green Bangladesh
Mission Green Bangladesh leads impactful initiatives across Bangladesh focused on environmental conservation and climate resilience. By planting trees, promoting sustainable practices, and raising awareness on climate action, Mission Green Bangladesh actively works to create greener, healthier communities, aligning with global goals to build a sustainable future.