From Metropolis to Ratropolis

The modern megacity of Dhaka, once celebrated for its rapid urban transformation, now appears to be confronting an increasingly unsettling ecological paradox. Beneath its elevated expressways, metro rail lines, and glass-fronted high-rises, an expanding subterranean ecosystem of rodents is quietly reshaping the urban experience. What was once a symbol of metropolitan aspiration is increasingly being described—metaphorically—as a “ratropolis”, a city where infrastructural progress coexists with deep environmental imbalance.

Literary parallels help illuminate this phenomenon. In Albert Camus’s The Plague, the sudden eruption of rats in the city of Oran foreshadows an uncontrollable epidemic. Similarly, in George Orwell’s 1984, rats symbolise primal fear and psychological collapse. Dhaka’s current situation, however, is not allegorical fiction but an observable urban reality increasingly reported in public health discourse.

Local media reports have highlighted a sharp rise in rodent activity across kitchens, markets, drainage systems, and residential buildings. Health experts warn that rodents may transmit more than sixty diseases, including leptospirosis and salmonellosis, posing a significant public health risk in densely populated urban zones. The issue is not merely biological but systemic, reflecting weaknesses in waste management, biodiversity loss, and urban planning.

Dhaka’s underground infrastructure—sewer tunnels, utility corridors, and drainage networks—has effectively become a parallel city. This hidden domain mirrors cinematic imaginings such as Flushed Away, where rodents construct elaborate subterranean societies. In Dhaka, however, this “under-city” is no longer confined below ground; rodents increasingly penetrate high-rise apartments, commercial kitchens, and air-conditioning systems.

Urban Ecological Imbalance

The escalation of rodent populations is closely linked to the collapse of natural predators and ecological regulators. Once-common urban scavengers such as crows, kites, and owls have declined significantly. Their disappearance has disrupted natural population control mechanisms. Open waste disposal practices further exacerbate the problem, effectively providing uninterrupted food sources for rodents.

Cities such as Istanbul demonstrate a contrasting model, where large populations of stray cats contribute to rodent suppression, supported by strict waste hygiene practices. Meanwhile, global cities like New York City, Paris, and London have increasingly adopted integrated pest management systems combining surveillance, sealed waste containers, and fertility control measures.

Comparative Urban Responses

Public Health and Infrastructure Concerns

Rodents in Dhaka are increasingly regarded as “silent vectors” of disease transmission. During monsoon flooding, contaminated water may mix with rodent waste, increasing the risk of infection. Experts describe this as a “Trojan horse” scenario, where visible urban development conceals hidden biological threats.

The decline of urban predators such as owls and snakes has further weakened ecological balance. In healthy ecosystems, these species regulate rodent populations naturally. Their disappearance, combined with unsegregated waste disposal, has allowed rodents to multiply without significant resistance.

Towards Ecological Restoration

Urban planners and environmental experts argue that the solution lies not in eradication but in systemic redesign. Recommended measures include sealed waste management systems, restoration of green corridors, reintroduction of predator-friendly habitats, and strict construction standards to block rodent entry points in buildings.

Nature-based solutions—such as reintroducing owls, encouraging raptor habitats, and improving wetland biodiversity—may complement technological interventions. However, without behavioural change in waste disposal and civic discipline, such measures are unlikely to succeed.

Ultimately, Dhaka’s challenge is not merely a rodent problem but a reflection of ecological imbalance within rapid urbanisation. A city cannot function as a true metropolis if its surface development is disconnected from its underground realities. Restoring balance between infrastructure and ecology may determine whether Dhaka remains a “ratropolis” or reclaims its identity as a sustainable modern metropolis.