Bangladesh’s rapid urbanization, once seen as a sign of progress, is now creating complex social, economic, and environmental challenges, according to Professor Md. Mujibur Rahman. He identifies unplanned internal migration from rural to urban areas as a key driver of this crisis, placing severe pressure on city infrastructure. Housing, transport, education, water supply, sanitation, and healthcare systems are all under strain, with Dhaka facing severe traffic congestion and rising environmental risks such as waterlogging and groundwater depletion.

The article explains that rural economic decline, lack of local employment, natural disasters, and climate change are pushing people toward cities. However, inadequate urban planning and poor coordination among development agencies have worsened the situation. The author argues that internal migration itself is not the problem but its unregulated nature.

To address the crisis, he calls for stronger rural development, decentralized industrial and educational opportunities, improved public transport, and long-term urban planning. Without such measures, he warns, Bangladesh’s cities risk becoming increasingly uninhabitable.