Every day, more than four thousand people are settling in Dhaka in search of jobs, education, and a better life, according to field surveys cited in the report. Experts attribute this influx to severe gas and electricity shortages that have halted new industrial growth in districts and forced many existing factories to close. As a result, thousands of unemployed workers are moving to the capital, taking up informal jobs such as hawking and driving autorickshaws.

Urban planners warn that Dhaka, designed to accommodate about eight million residents, now houses over 36.6 million people—thirteen times its capacity. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2026 Global Liveability Index ranked Dhaka 171st out of 173 cities, just above Tripoli and Damascus. The city faces chronic waste, traffic congestion, and flooding problems, with over five thousand slums.

Government officials acknowledge the crisis, citing plans for administrative decentralization and rural job creation to reduce migration pressure. Experts emphasize that without strengthening rural economies and ensuring reliable utilities, Dhaka’s livability will continue to deteriorate.