Five-day REHAB fair to begin in Dhaka from Thursday

A five-day fair by the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) is set to begin from Thursday at the capital's Bangabandhu International Conference Center.

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi will inaugurate the fair, REHAB First Vice-president (Finance) Engr Mohammad Sohel Rana told journalists on Sunday at a press conference at Hotel Sonargaon in the city.

Interested buyers will be facilitated with various information about flats, plots, housing loans and other information related to building a house and building materials at the housing fair.

Engr Mohammad Sohel Rana said the housing sector was heading toward a huge crisis during the Covid-19 pandemic. The sector was saved thanks to the stimulus packages declared by the government.

He said, "We are worried over the spiraling price of construction materials especially rod and cement and the proposed Detailed Area Plan. We fear that if the prices of construction materials continue to spiral, and the proposed DAP are implemented, the prices of flats will go up in the future."

This Rehab fair can be a good opportunity for middle-income people as their dream of grabbing a convenient flat may go beyond their affordability. That opportunity will be reduced in future for various reasons, he added.

In reply to a query by reporters, the REHAB vice president said the price of a flat has gone up by Tk500 per square foot due to the rise in prices of construction materials.  Many realtors who have almost ready flats will join the fair. They can offer flats at relatively reasonable prices.  

REHAB officials said a total of 220 stalls will be at the fair this year. Building material enterprises, investment banks and financial institutions will be partaking in this year's event along with the REHAB member companies.

State Minister for Housing and Public Works Sharif Ahmed, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) Chairman ABM Amin Ullah Nuri, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) President Md Jashim Uddin will also be present at the inaugural ceremony.

The fair will remain open from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm daily where a single entry ticket will cost Tk50 and multiple entries Tk100. The five-day-long fair will pull the curtains on 27 December.  

REHAB senior vice president Enthekhabul Hamid, vice presidents Kamal Mahmud, Nazrul Islam and Lion Sharif Ali Khan were also present at the press conference.