Tk3,542cr housing project proposed for govt officials at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar

According to the meeting documents, the project will involve constructing 1,512 modern flats in 42 buildings of different sizes in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

The government has taken an initiative to implement a major housing project at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, at an estimated cost of Tk3,542.77 crore to provide modern residential facilities for public officials and employees.

The Public Works Department (PWD) recently sent the proposed project to the Planning Commission for approval. An evaluation meeting on the project was held on 13 July, chaired by Planning Commission Physical Infrastructure Division member Neyamat Ullah Bhuiyan.

According to the meeting documents, the project will involve constructing 1,512 modern flats in 42 buildings of different sizes in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. A separate residential building and other facilities will also be provided for PWD employees.

Of the 42 buildings, one will house 2,500-square-foot flats, 10 will have 1,800-square-foot flats, 11 will have 1,500-square-foot flats, and 20 will have 1,250-square-foot flats. Each building is proposed to be 10 storeys high.

The project, titled “Housing for Government Officials/Employees in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka”, is proposed to be implemented from March 2026 to February 2030.

A PWD executive engineer, speaking to TBS on condition of anonymity, said government officials and employees working in Dhaka have been facing a housing shortage for a long time.

“The project has been taken up to address the housing crisis among government officials and employees working in Dhaka,” he said.

Buildings capped at 10 storeys

The project area is adjacent to the National Parliament complex, which was designed by renowned American architect Louis I Kahn. 

Kahn’s masterplan covers about 43 acres in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, and buildings in the surrounding area cannot exceed the height of the Parliament building under the plan.

An executive architect of the Department of Architecture told the meeting that the height of the proposed residential buildings had therefore been capped at 10 storeys.

Swimming pool, school, college, mosque, market

PWD officials said the plan proposes demolishing old buildings in the areas and initiating the new housing project there.

The PWD has also proposed a range of civic and recreational facilities. These include multi-level basement parking, eight three-storey facility buildings with two basement levels, and five six-storey community facility buildings with two basement levels to accommodate a school, college, mosque, market and community centre.

The project will also include a 10-storey dormitory building with one basement, a swimming pool, a children’s playground and underground water reservoirs.

A total of 2,838 parking spaces are proposed. Two parking spaces each would be provided for the 2,500- and 1,800-square-foot flats, while one space each would be allocated for the 1,500- and 1,250-square-foot flats. Common parking spaces would also be available for guests attending events at the community facilities.

The evaluation meeting reviewed the overall aspects of the project, with particular emphasis on protecting the original masterplan of the Parliament complex.

The meeting decided to form an expert panel comprising representatives from BUET, the Institute of Architects Bangladesh and experienced architects. The panel will review the proposed site to ensure that Kahn’s masterplan and architectural principles remain intact.

The meeting also directed the PWD to make environment-friendly technologies mandatory. The department was asked to revise and resubmit the development project proposal, incorporating rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, and fire-safety measures.

According to officials, around 150,000 government officials and employees currently work in Dhaka, but only 8% to 10% have access to government housing.

As a result, most government employees have to spend a significant portion of their income on private accommodation, affecting their standard of living.

A large number of government offices are located in and around Farmgate, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar and Tejgaon. Many working in these offices commute from distant parts of the city.