Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has expressed grave concern over Dhaka ranking as the world’s third least livable city, urging immediate nationwide action to reverse this trend.
Speaking at the inauguration of the National Tree Plantation Drive and Tree Fair at the China Friendship Conference Center on Thursday, he emphasized the critical need for planned urbanization, environmental conservation, and a strict halt to indiscriminate industrialization.
"Dhaka's position on this list is alarming, and we must urgently bring the capital out of this situation," the Prime Minister stated. He heavily criticized the haphazard construction of factories, noting that such unregulated practices are unacceptable for a developing nation.
Highlighting a widespread lack of public awareness regarding environmental protection, the Premier called for extensive campaigns to actively engage citizens. He also reaffirmed the government’s election pledge to plant 250 million trees over the next five years. However, he warned the public against planting environmentally harmful species like eucalyptus, stressing the importance of selecting ecologically appropriate trees.
During the event, three individuals and three organizations received the National Environment Medal for their exceptional conservation efforts. Additionally, 21 people were honored across seven categories for their contributions to the tree-planting initiative.
Dhaka recently ranked third among 173 cities in the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) 2026 Global Liveability Index, retaining the same poor standing it held in 2025.
