Helemul Alam

After the finance minister in his budget speech revealed the government’s plan to construct up to 60,000 flats in Purbachal New Town and 8,400 in Uttara Sector-18 to resolve the housing problem, experts have cast doubt on the plan, pointing to examples of previous initiatives like this, which had flaws in implementation.

Alongside building the flats, as promised by the prime minister, steps have been taken to build four satellite cities in the vicinity of Dhaka, considering its growth. Moreover, there are plans to build Bangabandhu Satellite City at both ends of the Padma Multi-purpose Bridge, said Mustafa Kamal.

Iqbal Habib, joint secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon, said they welcome the initiative to construct satellite towns, but the housing problem will not be resolved by constructing apartments by the government.

Habib said the government has failed to provide apartments in Uttara third phase at affordable prices, rather, they have become expensive apartments, as prices do not remain in control under government management.

Echoing Habib, Adil Mohammad Khan, general secretary of Bangladesh Institute of Planners, said prices of flats constructed by the government were almost similar to market prices, and as a result, low-income people cannot afford those.

Adil said there is a shortage of housing facilities across the country, and in some projects, flats were constructed in an unplanned way.

Giving an example, he said 6,636 flats in Uttara Sector-18 have already been constructed. “Though the project was implemented targeting lower-middle and middle-class people, it actually became an apartment project for the upper-class.”

The government will have to take up housing projects that will be affordable for all, and flats will have to be constructed in different sizes. Although authorities are constructing some housing projects for the lower-income people, it’s not enough when compared to the demand, he added.

Contacted, Ujjwal Mallick, chief engineer of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), said three types of flats will be constructed in the Purbachal apartment project for limited-, middle- and high-income people.