Mahbub Piyal, Faridpur

Faridpur district occupies a special place in the history of Bangladesh politically, socially and culturally. After the arrival of the Portuguese in Bengal, a zamindari region named 'Fatehabad' was introduced in this region in the name of a Muslim ruler named Jalal Uddin Fateh Shah to expand commercial activities.

Later, after the arrival of Shah Farid (RA), the region was named Faridpur after his name. Although the district city located on the banks of the Padma River is currently walking the path of modernity, how suitable is Faridpur for living? Considering the amenities of city life, traffic jams, pollution, safety, education, health, employment - can Faridpur be an ideal residential address today?

Faridpur district has a 1,000-bed Faridpur Medical College Hospital, a modern government headquarters hospital and a significant number of private hospitals to ensure better medical facilities for the citizens. There are also five government colleges, a technical education institution—Faridpur Polytechnic Institute, and two specialized higher education institutions—Faridpur Engineering College and Faridpur Textile Institute, which provide students with high-quality technology and engineering education.

Although the communication system of Faridpur district has improved over time, several important roads have become dilapidated due to lack of renovation for a long time. These dilapidated roads are causing serious inconvenience to the local residents.

The condition of the Bhanga-Faridpur highway, the main means of transportation from Dhaka to Faridpur district, is very poor. Passengers are suffering immensely due to large potholes and dilapidated roads on the road. If this road is not renovated soon, it will become a bigger problem for the communication system of Faridpur.

One of the main problems of Faridpur city is overpopulation. In 2009, the population of the municipality was 1,35,837, which is increasing at an average rate of 3.91% per year. It is estimated that the population of the city will increase to 3,21,922 by 2030.

This increase in population is putting a lot of pressure on the city's infrastructure. The streets and market areas are always crowded, making it difficult for pedestrians to move around. In particular, the narrow streets and poor roads have made the situation more complicated. Due to the overcrowding, incidents of theft and pickpocketing occur in populated areas, which has become a major challenge for security. Also, incidents of robbery often occur in secluded places of the city due to the lack of adequate lights and CCTV cameras. If population control and urban management are not improved, the suffering of the residents of Faridpur city may increase further.

Rickshaws or three-wheeler autos are the main means of transportation within Faridpur city. However, the number of these vehicles is much higher than the number of passengers. Due to the excess number of auto-rickshaws, important places in the city, such as Jantar Mor, Bhanga Rasta Mor, Raffles Mor, Alipur Gorasthan, Sadar Hospital Road, Tepakhola Gorur Hat Road and Medical College Road, are congested most of the day. As a result, pedestrians and vehicles are suffering greatly. If proper planning and effective measures are not taken to resolve the traffic congestion, the traffic system of Faridpur city may become more critical in the coming days.

In addition, the violence of mobile hawkers has increased in important places in the city. Various mobile shops have been set up by occupying the sidewalks and roads at Jantar Mor, the heart of the city. Which is one of the reasons for traffic congestion and pedestrian movement problems. In addition, the Bailey Bridge built on the Kumar River is also occupied by mobile hawkers.
Despite the goodwill of the administration to rehabilitate the hawkers and there is no alternative place, this problem is not being solved in the long term.

Air and noise pollution in Faridpur city is now at its peak. Due to sand mining at CNB Ghat, the main road of the city is covered in dust. The road from Tepakhola Garur Hat to CMB Ghat has become unbreathable. Trucks loaded with sand have become a cause of traffic jams and accidents.

Faridpur does not have many large industrial factories. Therefore, employment opportunities for the people here outside the traditional professions are also quite limited. Except for a handful of businessmen, industrialists, teachers, and doctors, most of the people here belong to the lower or middle class.

Unless steps are taken to reduce traffic congestion, repair roads, strengthen security systems, planned urbanization, increase employment opportunities, and control pollution, the quality of life of the residents of Faridpur city may further deteriorate. It is possible to make Faridpur a more livable city through effective steps by the administration, citizen awareness, and long-term planning.

The writer is a Faridpur District Correspondent of The Country Today