Smart City Week began yesterday at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre in the capital aiming to bring innovative solutions integrating citizens' participation, technology, infrastructure and public policy for co-creating smart cities in Bangladesh, reports UNB.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Access to Information (a2i) of the Prime Minister's Office, along with other urban stakeholders, jointly organised the weeklong event, a UNDP press release said. Addressing the inaugural session of the event, Narayanganj City Corporation Mayor Dr Salina Hayat Ivy said Bangladesh is striving to establish Digital Bangladesh and all the cities have to convert to smart cities.

"Technology alone can't make our cities smart, unless we don't act as responsible citizens," she said adding that "The growing population and transportation in cities are the major challenges to build smart cities."

UNDP country director Sudipto Mukerjee, secretary general of Municipal Association of Bangladesh (MAB) and Mayor of Kotalipara Municipality HM Ahidul Islam, Vice-Chancellor of University of Asia Pacific Prof Dr Jamilur Reza Choudhury and Swedish Ambassador in Dhaka Charlotta Schlyter, among others.