A policy conclave on smart housing and sustainable urbanisation opened in Dhaka on Wednesday, bringing together policymakers, planners and industry figures to discuss the policy challenges and prospects surrounding smart housing, sustainable urbanisation and the future of Bangladesh.
The Smart City Conclave 2026, organised by the Bonik Barta, began at 11:30 am at the Grand Ballroom of the Sheraton Hotel in Banani. Housing and Public Works Minister Zakaria Taher is attending as chief guest, with RAJUK Chairman Engineer Md Reazul Islam as special guest.
The conclave will feature three sessions and includes an opening discussion on housing, construction and sustainable urbanisation. Azam J Chowdhury, chairman of East Coast Group, is due to speak in a session on energy transition, covering LPG and solar.
Mohammed Jahangir Alam, president of the Bangladesh Steel Manufacturers Association and chairman of Crown Cement PLC and GPH Group, and Nasim Biswas, president of the Glass Manufacturers and Exporters Association of Bangladesh and managing director of Nasir Syntax Group, are expected to join the session on building domestic capacity in construction.
The session on smart-green housing and finance will hear from Mohammad Foyez Ullah, managing director of Spacezero Ltd; Nasimul Baten, managing director and chief executive of DBH Finance PLC; and Srabanti Datta, managing director of ABC Real Estate Ltd.
The opening discussion and the broader perspective on housing, construction and sustainable urbanisation will feature Professor Dr Ishtiaque Ahmed, head of the civil engineering department at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, and Professor Dr Adil Mohammed Khan of Jahangirnagar University’s urban and regional planning department.
Policymakers, planners, engineers, experts, entrepreneurs, businesspeople and representatives of government and private institutions from the housing, construction, energy and urban planning sectors are attending.