"Absence of proper planning is even causing disaster and death... and the main sufferers are urban poor," he said at a workshop organised by the World Bank (WB) at LGED auditorium in the city.

The WB also launched a study report titled 'Dhaka: Improving living conditions of the urban poor' as part of its Bangladesh Development Series.

WB Lead Infrastructure Specialist Jae So, University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Prof Nazrul Islam and Coalition for the Urban Poor Executive Mostafa Quaium Khan presented the report.

Speaking as chief guest, the adviser said negligence of the past governments to address these issues has made it difficult to address the urban problems, but resurrection must start to save Dhaka as well as Bangladesh.

Illegality of occupation makes the poor vulnerable to eviction, but the government recognises the obligation of arranging shelter for them, he said, adding the caretaker government has initiated two rehabilitation schemes for slum dwellers who were evicted recently from the government land.

"These two pilot projects on government land will provide housing facilities for 1200 households approximately," he said, adding these schemes are actually symbolic in nature, as they touch only a tiny fraction of the huge population.

"We actually have to devise policies, which will address the needs of all groups of population particularly the lower-middle income group and the poor," he said, adding, policies and programmes for the delivery of urban basic services should also be formulated.

According to World Bank study, poverty affects one in every three residents in Dhaka with mostly living in the slums, where access to water, sanitation, electricity, health and education is very limited.

Their lives are more vulnerable by low quality housing, crimes and violence, it noted.

With three to four lakh new migrants annually, Dhaka's population is expected to grow to about 20 million by 2020, the report said.

"Though the poor people provide critical employment for the city's industries and services, the country does not have any explicit policy on urbanisation, urban governance and urban poverty," said WB Country Director Zhu Xian.

He said to support urbanisation and manage the growing urban issues, policies are required to strengthen the urban local government and support those who are more vulnerable.

The WB is ready to support the government, municipalities, civil society and urban communities to address the urban issues, Zhu Xian said.

UGC Chairman Prof Nazrul Islam said most people in the city live in congested slums or rented houses, while the slum dwellers are now under continuous pressure of being displaced by the developers.

For ownership of housing, he suggested proper use of land.

If necessary, more and more high-rise buildings could be built so that the price of land is reduced, he said, adding Rajuk (Rajdhani Unnayan Katripokkho) should play major role for the housing of the poor.

Advocate Sultana Kamal, former adviser to caretaker government, said, "There should be no eviction of the slum dwellers without prior notice, compensation or rehabilitation."

She suggested using the khas land for the housing of the poor and slum dwellers.

There is a common perception that all the slum dwellers are criminals, but this is not right, she added.

The workshop was chaired by Local Government Division Secretary Safar Raj Hossain.