Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Mohammad Ejaz participated in the Partnership for Healthy Cities (PHC) Summit 2025 organized in Paris.
The global urban development and public health conference ‘Partnership for Healthy Cities Summit 2025’ was held in Paris, the capital of France, from 18-21 March 2025. A total of 330 representatives, including 12 mayors from 61 cities, participated in this conference organized by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the World Health Organization (WHO), Vital Strategies and the Paris City Authority.
It is worth noting that the ‘Partnership for Healthy Cities’, which started in 2017, is now a global network of 74 cities. It is working globally to build healthy cities by sharing experiences of models and activities of various cities to address public health issues and prevent non-communicable diseases. As a partner of this network, Dhaka North City Corporation has started working to prevent air pollution in the city.
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Mohammad Ejaz participated in the conference organized in Paris from Bangladesh.
While talking to reporters, the DNCC Administrator said, ‘Bangladesh is one of the countries most affected by climate change. The capital Dhaka and other cities in Bangladesh are facing various challenges. Currently, air pollution is a major problem in Dhaka. Since pollution has no boundaries, we are constantly affected by pollution caused by industrialization in the surrounding cities and the country. This international network can provide technical and financial assistance to affected cities like Dhaka to address the challenges. As a result, it will be possible to achieve the goals of the Partnership for Healthy Cities Network.’
In response to a question from a journalist, the DNCC Administrator said, ‘We are not interested in receiving loan assistance from developed countries and international development organizations to address the challenges of our city. Since industrialized countries are obligated to provide financial assistance to the affected countries through the Loss and Damage Fund according to the climate agreement, we are calling for financial grants from them instead of loans.’
Stating that he is working to make Dhaka a fair city, he said, ‘It is not enough to just call Dhaka a healthy or green city—we want it to be a ‘city of fairness’. The overall development of the city is not possible without the development of the backward communities. At the same time, he also informed about the plan to build city hostels, rest centers, and public toilets to make Dhaka a healthy city.’
He said, ‘The Partnership for Healthy Cities is already assisting the Dhaka North City Corporation in various ways, including air pollution measurement devices. The summit discussed in detail the activities taken in different cities around the world to protect public health and prevent non-communicable diseases. This experience is very important for me.’
