Vertical housing key to accommodating our growing urban population
At the event titled “Urbanisation of Bangladesh: Challenges of Housing and Affordable Living” held on Sunday in Dhaka, they also emphasised a long-term plan to promote healthy urbanisation, protect arable land to ensure food security, preserve water bodies and save forests to maintain the environment
Bangladesh urgently needs to transition towards vertical infrastructure to effectively accommodate the growing urban population, stakeholders said at a roundtable discussion.
At the event titled "Urbanisation of Bangladesh: Challenges of Housing and Affordable Living" held on Sunday in Dhaka, they also emphasised a long-term plan to promote healthy urbanisation, protect arable land to ensure food security, preserve water bodies and save forests to maintain the environment.
The event, jointly organised by IDLC Finance PLC and The Business Standard, saw speakers call for an intellectual framework to provide better guidance, with comprehensive planning covering the entire country. They also stressed the importance of decentralisation to alleviate pressure on the capital.
Additionally, they suggested developing satellite towns around megacities such as Dhaka and Chattogram, ensuring robust transportation systems to enhance connectivity and support balanced urban growth.
The participants also criticised the revised Detailed Area Plan (DAP) and Floor Area Ratio (FAR), stating that these revisions negatively impact the city's habitability and sustainable urban environment.
"We need to focus more on vertical construction to save land and maintain greenery," said Engr Abdul Latif, vice president of the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh, stressing the need for better connectivity between nearby districts and major cities, suggesting the introduction of electric trains to facilitate efficient transport.
Calling for immediate action, Engr Latif highlighted the chaos caused by unplanned urbanisation.
"There are a few plans for the cities, but they are not being implemented, while there is no plan at all for elsewhere. We still have time to address this issue and develop a long-term plan for healthy urbanisation. The government must act before it becomes too late to rectify," he added.
Criticising the DAP, Engr Latif pointed out that its short implementation timeline and allowance for the use of arable land for building structures could jeopardise food security. He denounced the FAR, too, stating that it is unrealistic and will increase housing prices instead of making them more affordable.
Addressing the challenges in Purbachal, he noted its potential but expressed concern over the lack of investment in infrastructure, saying, "The poor road quality in Purbachal is deterring investors from developing the area."
KM Zahid Uddin, deputy managing director of Bashu ndhara Cement and Readymix, said urbanisation in Bangladesh gained momentum right after the country's liberation, particularly as literacy rates increased.
"Parents often believe that moving to Dhaka will provide their children with access to better educational institutions and a better life," he explained, adding that this influx of people has strained housing availability in the city, leading to numerous challenges, including overcrowding.
"We need to focus seriously on affordable housing to make living accessible. Planning for multi-storey buildings and developing satellite cities near megacities like Dhaka could be viable solutions," Zahid Uddin suggested.
Rupali Chowdhury, managing director of Berger Bangladesh, emphasised the need for a decentralisatio n of services to alleviate pressure on major cities like Dhaka.
She highlighted the need for employment opportunities to be made available throughout the country, while also noting that ensuring access to health, education, and reliable transportation services is crucial for encouraging people to stay in their local areas instead of migrating to the capital.
She emphasised that the capacity of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha and other housing-related institutions must be enhanced and developed with the necessary skills. These services need to be digitalised.
Ahmed Pasha, director of Edison Group, expressed concern over the housing disparity in Dhaka, noting that only 10% of city dwellers own the majority of housing, while the remaining 90% live in rented accommodations.
"Even for new projects, the same 10% of people are purchasing apartments. To address this crisis, the government must take proactive steps and develop effective policies," he added.
Pasha pointed out that the private sector wants to provide affordable housing. To make this possible, the government should step forward to lower land prices and resolve legal issues.
He suggested imposing higher taxes on multi-apartment owners to discourage property hoarding. Additionally, he recommended that the government introduce special schemes offering low-interest loans to help more people afford to buy their own homes.
Syed Javed Noor, additional managing director and head of business at IDLC, noted that a significant portion of an individual's earnings goes towards housing expenses.
He focused on the need for longer repayment periods on home loans to make it easier for individuals to repay without being under financial strains. He also suggested that government subsidies could play a crucial role in making housing more affordable.
Additionally, Noor recommended reducing land transaction costs to facilitate the buying and selling of homes, allowing people the flexibility to change houses according to their needs.
Md Nazmuchh Chhakib, principal architect and managing director of Shikor Architects, highlighted the negative impacts of unplanned urbanisation, such as environmental degradation, various forms of pollution, traffic congestion, the lack of playgrounds, and urban overheating.
To address these challenges, he advocated creating inclusive cities with all necessary amenities.
Chhakib also emphasised the importance of developing rural areas by ensuring good connectivity, access to healthcare, quality educational institutions and job opportunities, which can help reduce the pressure on urban centres.
Engr Md Shamsul Alam, principal structural engineer at The Designers and Managers (TDM); Rayyan Hassan, executive director of NGO Forum (ADB); and Mohammad Imtiaz Uddin Chowdhury, head of sales and marketing at BSRM, all echoed the need for strategic urban planning and better housing solutions.
Ln Sheikh Rabiul Haque, managing director of Tropical Homes Limited, expressed frustration that despite ongoing discussions on the issue for years, there have been no satisfactory results. He criticised Rajuk's role in failing to make Purbachal an appealing alternative for housing.
He also emphasised the need for a shift in public perspective.
The roundtable was conducted by Sharier Khan, executive editor of The Business Standard.