The Azimpur colony was once considered the model of ideal housing in Bangladesh. It had open spaces, playgrounds, ponds, trees, and low-rise buildings. Designed by renowned architect Muzharul Islam, this government housing project once stood as a symbol of thoughtful urban planning in the country. But over time, that vision has changed drastically. One high-rise tower after another has sprung up in the area—without a proper policy or plan. These were built in the name of providing housing for government officers and staff, but urban experts now see them as striking examples of unplanned urbanization.
The Public Works Department (PWD) has constructed seventeen 20-story buildings in Azimpur to house government employees. Right beside those, another five high-rises were built for judicial officers. Although the buildings were formally inaugurated in 2023, residents had already started living there earlier. On the opposite side of Eden College, six more 20-story buildings have recently been completed, and residents are expected to move in within a few months.
This is not unique to Azimpur. The same pattern can be seen in other areas—Mirpur, Motijheel, and Agargaon. According to urban planners, these high-rises have been built without any study on population density, traffic flow, or public service demand—resulting in tremendous pressure on Dhaka’s already struggling urban infrastructure.
PWD officials claim that efficient land use was prioritized when building housing for government employees in the capital. That is why high-rises were chosen as the solution. But due to the absence of any clear guidelines, these high-rises have been built wherever and however it suited the authorities. There was no consideration given to the impact such concentrated housing would have on public services, traffic systems, or shared spaces.
Urban planning experts point out that under the private land development regulations of 2004, any housing development on more than five acres of land must follow specific regulations. Additionally, the Detailed Area Plan (DAP 2010) lays out clear criteria for ensuring civic amenities. But for projects on less than five acres, there were no explicit private land development regulations. PWD also did not seek approval from RAJUK before construction. That gap in oversight allowed the department to erect massive high-rises even in crowded parts of the city, far beyond what those neighborhoods can reasonably support.
Md Ashraful Islam, Project Director of DAP and Chief Town Planner at RAJUK, told Bonik Barta, “In the new DAP, block-based housing have been emphasized to ensure better land use. High-rises are now allowed only on plots larger than one bigha. In such case, 40 percent of the land must be set aside as public space. Earlier plans didn’t mention this clearly, which is why so many high-rises were built on small plots under government projects. We may not be able to question the buildings that are already up, but we should be asking whether any study was done on the demand for civic amenities in areas with nearly 30 high-rise buildings. If not, why not? Without such assessments, life in Dhaka will only get more complicated. Who will be held accountable?”
An employee from the Chief Adviser’s office lives in one of the tower buildings in Azimpur. When asked about his living experience, he said, “There are 17 buildings for employees here. Each one has 20 floors. And there are five 20-floor buildings for officers. The buildings built for us have 76 units each. The officers’ buildings have fewer units. In total, 1,292 families live in our 17 buildings. If there are at least four people in each family, then about 5,168 people live in this part of the colony. Next to us, there are five buildings for officers, and across from Eden College, there are six more towers. All together, about seven to eight thousand people live in Azimpur colony.”
He added, “If we go out for a walk this afternoon, we can barely step forward; people bump into each other—that’s how crowded it is. The situation will only get worse in the future. Honestly, we are just sleeping in closed rooms here. People even sleep in jails. So, has the government built a modern prison in the name of housing for us? We can’t walk here, can’t play, there aren’t enough schools, no markets, and no public transportation either.”
Architect Iqbal Habib said that by demolishing the Azimpur colony and building PWD housing, a bad example has been set. He told Bonik Barta, “Housing and buildings are two completely different things. Housing means a home. It’s where people live with humanity and close to nature. It supports their mental, physical, and cultural growth. Even in our neighboring countries, people live in tall buildings. But there, enough playgrounds, ponds, schools, markets, and traffic facilities are ensured. The designs even clearly show where people can dry their clothes. But here, in a traditional and ideal residential area like Azimpur, the Public Works Department has built a few buildings worse than prison. This is not just about constructing some buildings; housing means investment in a place where women, children, teenagers, the elderly, and the sick can live comfortably in a cultural environment. Instead, what they have built here looks like a jungle of bricks that creates a broken generation.”
Urban planner Dr. Adil Mohammed Khan said DAP 2010 had already established clear standards for how many people could live in a residential area. It also specified how much open space, parks, schools, and water bodies were needed based on the population. “PWD ignored all of it,” he said. “And not just in Azimpur—wherever government-built towers exist in Dhaka, DAP’s population density guidelines have been violated. Housing 7,000 to 8,000 additional people in Azimpur, where the area was already overcrowded, is like cramming in two villages’ worth of people. Villages have multiple schools, ponds, markets, playgrounds. Does Azimpur colony have even the basics?”
He questioned how the public could be expected to follow urban plans when the government itself disregards them. He said, “You can’t just suddenly decide to build 20-story buildings and cram in thousands more people. Where will they live, what kind of civic services will they get, how much pressure will this put on utilities, green spaces, and roads—none of these planning concerns are being considered. This kind of impulsive development goes completely against the idea of a livable and sustainable city. It’s reckless and unjust. A proper investigation and accountability are necessary.”
Unplanned decisions by the Public Works Department (PWD) will put added pressure on urban services and lead to prolonged suffering for residents, said Mohammad Ejaz, Administrator of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC). He told Bonik Barta, “The government has already built several high-rises in DNCC areas. To ensure civic amenities in these buildings, the city corporation’s capacity must be expanded.”
He added, “More tower buildings will be constructed through both government and private initiatives. In that case, the corporation’s capacity has to grow too. If an additional 5,000 people and 500 vehicles are added to a single ward’s existing population and infrastructure, it will strain roads, markets, schools, waste management—everything. These issues must be taken into account when designing government housing. Otherwise, the city corporation will struggle to provide basic services.”