Although rules and regulations are in place for urban planning and development, there is little tendency among citizens, housing companies and urban transport operators to comply with them in practice, violating rules in their own interests. The country’s urbanisation process is seeing encroachment on water bodies and open spaces, construction of buildings without following approved designs and unplanned housing developments. In Dhaka, meanwhile, population pressure is increasing steadily. Land shortages and infrastructure constraints are also making urban life more difficult.
Addressing these challenges requires more than simply constructing new buildings; rather, long-term urban planning is needed to integrate smart housing, transport, energy and civic services. To this end, the government has undertaken a 10-year plan for the first time, under which master plans will be prepared from metropolitan cities down to the upazila level, said Housing and Public Works Minister Zakaria Taher.
He said zoning would be carried out to determine what types of development would take place in which areas. “Development activities without a master plan are much like shooting an arrow without setting a target. The Urban Development Directorate (UDD) is being strengthened to implement this plan,” he said.
The housing and public works minister made the remarks as the chief guest at the Smart City Conclave 2026, organised by Bonik Barta under the theme “Smart Housing & Sustainable Urbanisation: Shaping the Future of Bangladesh”. The policy discussion was held on Wednesday at the Grand Ballroom of Sheraton Hotel in Banani, Dhaka.
At the conclave, attended by policymakers, entrepreneurs from the housing and construction sectors and urban planners, speakers said both government institutions and the private sector must adhere to good governance to ensure smart housing and sustainable urbanisation. Strict action must be taken against any activity that violates the law. A liveable and sustainable urban system can also be developed in Bangladesh through the use of modern technology, affordable and green housing, decentralisation and strict implementation of master plans, which would also help advance the current government’s vision of building a trillion-dollar economy.
Speaking at the conclave, moderated by Bonik Barta Editor and Publisher Dewan Hanif Mahmud, Housing Minister Zakaria Taher said, “Working without a master plan is like shooting four arrows after setting a single target. We want to work in a specific and targeted manner. That’s why we’re strengthening the UDD. We want to give priority to this department. Proper planning is possible when there’s sufficient data. Even the latest census was conducted quite some time ago. We should conduct another accurate census, based on which we can plan.”
Engineer Md Reazul Islam, chairman of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), attended the conclave as the guest of honour. The panel discussion featured Mosa Ferdousi Begum, chairman of the National Housing Authority; Azam J Chowdhury, chairman of East Coast Group; Mohammed Jahangir Alam, chairman of Crown Cement PLC and GPH Group; Nasim Biswas, president of the GMEAB and managing director of Nasir Syntax Group; Mohammad Foyez Ullah, managing director of SpaceZero Ltd; Nasimul Baten, managing director and CEO of DBH Finance PLC; Srabanti Datta, managing director of ABC Real Estate Ltd; Professor Dr Ishtiaque Ahmed, head of the Department of Civil Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET); and Professor Dr Adil Mohammed Khan of the Department of Urban & Regional Planning at Jahangirnagar University.
Top entrepreneurs from the country’s housing and construction sectors, senior officials from relevant government departments, policymakers from the banking and financial sectors, businesspeople, academics and people from various professions also attended the event.
In his speech as the guest of honour, RAJUK Chairman Md Reazul Islam said, “We want to create a liveable Dhaka where people can at least live with basic amenities.”
He added, “RAJUK’s main responsibility is to prepare plans and the Detailed Area Plan (DAP). On paper, the DAP is a good plan, but in reality, it’s like the proverbial cow that exists in the book but not in the cowshed. Ten-storey buildings have now been constructed without approval on land identified as water bodies in the DAP. As RAJUK chairman, I have to recognise this reality. Unless we can coordinate these systems, we’ll never be able to solve the problem.”
National Housing Authority Chairman Mosa Ferdousi Begum identified the country’s existing shortage of land as a major challenge to smart housing. She said, “We have several major challenges. One of them is the shortage of land. We need to think about how this limited land can be used in a planned manner. We can use modern technology in this regard. BIM, artificial intelligence and GIS technology can be used to plan well-planned housing and urban development.”
Calling on the private sector to come forward to build a better and more liveable Bangladesh in the future, she added, “The government alone can’t do this. We certainly need the cooperation of private stakeholders. I believe that if we want to take our small Bangladesh towards smart housing, sustainable urbanisation and a better future, everyone must work together. This is possible only through collective efforts.”
Four separate panel discussions on different aspects of the housing and construction sectors were held at the Smart City Conclave. Taking part in a panel discussion titled “Energy Transition: LPG and Solar”, industrial entrepreneur and East Coast Group Chairman Azam J Chowdhury said, “Centralised LPG storage facilities should be established when developing new cities or residential areas. LPG can be stored centrally and then supplied to homes through connections. This would eliminate the need to carry cylinders. Several LPG companies in Dhaka already supply fuel in this way. There is consequently no need to carry cylinders to the second, third or even fifth floors of homes or buildings. To introduce such a system, space needs to be allocated for it in each sector because there are safety concerns.”
He also said future cities and residential areas should be planned by integrating energy infrastructure, renewable energy, safe LPG supply and innovative technologies into the development process.
Speaking at a panel discussion titled “Building Domestic Capacity in Construction”, Nasim Biswas, managing director of Nasir Syntax Group, said, “Glass is a recyclable product. None of the glass waste needs to be wasted; it can be recycled. This can save a substantial amount of energy and production costs through recycling. It can also reduce the cost of new raw materials and imports.”
Noting that many housing developers are increasingly adopting modern glass technologies, he added, “Bangladesh is now self-sufficient in float glass production. Greater use of glass in construction would allow more natural light to enter buildings, reduce the use of electric lighting and save energy. Increasing the use of double-glazed glass in construction could result in substantial energy savings. It would also help regulate temperatures inside buildings.”
Highlighting the importance of using high-strength rods in building construction, Mohammed Jahangir Alam, chairman of GPH Group, said: “The new technology used to produce steel or rods doesn’t just reduce electricity or energy consumption. It also produces high-strength rods. What was previously Grade 400 has now been upgraded to Grade 500. We’ve also moved from Grade 500 to Grade 600. With new technology, steel can be produced up to Grade 600. I urge everyone to give importance to industries like this, which make a significant contribution to our domestic economy. Green financing has come up in everyone’s remarks. I urge everyone to keep this in mind.”
He added, “The minister is here, the RAJUK chairman is here, and many people from our housing sector are also here. I urge everyone to keep this issue in mind and design buildings based on high-strength rods.”
Nasimul Baten, managing director and CEO of DBH Finance, spoke about smart, green housing and financing. He said, “It’s actually quite easy to make a building green. If we use reflective paint and solar panels on the roof, maintain proper ventilation, install shading over windows at the design stage, use low-flow equipment in taps and showers, and opt for LED bulbs and BLDC fans, construction costs would increase by only 3 to 4 percent. Instead of spending BDT 2,500, the cost might be BDT 2,600. But the benefits would come in the long term. If the government and private sector work together to ensure affordability and sustainability, only then can we realise the smart city we envision.”
Mohammad Foyez Ullah, managing director of Spacezero Ltd, spoke about various aspects of smart, green housing. He said: “Smart housing doesn’t simply mean modern technology, solar roofs or various gadgets. More important is ensuring the flow of natural light and air through buildings, and reducing energy and water consumption and lifecycle costs. Alongside using solar power, conducting energy audits and using low-energy-cost equipment, buildings need to be constructed in locations from which people can easily travel to essential services and workplaces. Long commutes will otherwise increase both transport costs and carbon emissions.”
Calling for green housing to be viewed as a necessity rather than merely a marketing term, Srabanti Datta, managing director of ABC Real Estate, said, “Given where Bangladesh and Dhaka stand in terms of any kind of statistics or environmental considerations, the time has come for all our stakeholders to treat green housing as a necessity rather than just a buzzword or a marketing issue. We’re urbanising rapidly. Land is becoming scarce. Everything is centred on Dhaka. Even in other cities that are now developing, the mistakes made in Dhaka are being repeated.”
Speaking at a panel discussion on housing, construction and sustainable urbanisation, Professor Dr Ishtiaque Ahmed, head of the Department of Civil Engineering at BUET, said, “RAJUK and other regulatory bodies have already introduced various measures, such as registering engineers and electronic construction permits. There has consequently been some progress in ensuring the quality of building designs. But a comprehensive system to ensure that construction work is carried out according to the approved design and prescribed standards is still not in place.”
He added, “The building code provides for an oversight authority. An initiative has recently been taken through legislation to establish such an authority. But the necessary framework, including rules, an organogram, manpower and budget, needs to be developed quickly to make it effective. This work can’t be confined to the government bureaucratic structure. Skilled engineers, architects and experienced professionals need to be brought into the system.”
Professor Dr Adil Mohammed Khan of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Jahangirnagar University put forward four specific recommendations for building smart housing and a sustainable Bangladesh.
He said: “The first recommendation is affordable and social housing. Affordable housing for low- and middle-income people needs to be developed through public-private partnerships. To encourage the private sector, access to low-interest loans and developable land needs to be increased.
“Second, land banking and dedicated housing. ‘Land banking’ should be introduced for low-income people by reserving specific plots of land. They can’t afford to buy land at market prices, so planned rental and affordable housing should be provided according to their needs.
“Third, decentralisation and spatial planning. It’s not possible to accommodate this endless flow of people towards Dhaka or Chattogram alone. Barisal, Mymensingh, Rangpur, Sylhet, Cumilla and other divisional and regional cities need to be developed as centres of growth.
“Fourth, strict enforcement of laws and plans. No development that violates approved designs or destroys the environment can be allowed.”