The Cabinet has given in-principle approval to a proposal to relocate the Bangladesh Secretariat to Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital, where 14 12-storey buildings are planned on a 31.58-acre site currently occupied by the former trade fair ground.
The proposed complex will provide around 3.316 million square feet of office space and include three basement levels, parking for 3,800 vehicles, a mosque, multipurpose halls, a cafeteria and a post office. Around 30% of the project area is planned to be reserved for greenery and water bodies.
The Cabinet also approved the draft of a special ordinance on solar power installation, targeting 3,000-4,000 megawatts of rooftop solar capacity before next summer. At the same meeting, it approved a proposal to rename the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs as the Ministry of Women and Children, as well as Bangladesh’s proposed accession to the Rotterdam Convention on the international trade of hazardous chemicals and pesticides.
The decisions were taken at the Cabinet’s 25th meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Secretariat on Sunday. Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani briefed reporters on the decisions after the meeting.
The government had earlier taken an in-principle decision to relocate the Secretariat at a recent meeting chaired by the prime minister.
More than 3.3 million square feet of office space
According to a Cabinet press release, the existing Secretariat has around 1.876 million square feet of office space. More than one million additional square feet are needed to meet the growing requirements of different ministries and accommodate ministries and divisions currently operating outside the Secretariat compound.
To address the shortage, the government has planned a new Secretariat in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. Following a decision by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), the Department of Architecture prepared a conceptual design for the complex at the former trade fair ground, in line with the master plan developed by Louis I Kahn.
Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani said the proposed complex would comprise 14 12-storey buildings on around 31.58 acres of land. The buildings, including three basement levels, would provide a total of approximately 3.316 million square feet of space.
The design includes parking for 3,800 vehicles, with 200 spaces above ground. The complex will also have a mosque, two multipurpose halls, each with a capacity of 350 people, a cafeteria and a post office.
Gani said around 30% of the project area would be allocated to greenery and water bodies.
The extent to which the new complex will ease the existing space shortage will depend on plans for relocating different ministries and divisions and the effective use of the new buildings.
Special ordinance for rooftop solar power
The Cabinet has given in-principle and final approval to the draft Special Solar Power Installation Ordinance, 2026, aimed at reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels, easing the burden of subsidies and strengthening energy security.
The final approval is subject to vetting by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division.
Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani said the government had set a target of installing 3,000-4,000 megawatts of rooftop solar capacity before next summer. To achieve this, instructions have been issued to install solar power systems on the rooftops of buildings owned by government, semi-government and autonomous bodies, local government institutions and state-owned companies.
The proposed framework provides for two financing models: Operational Expenditure (OPEX) and Capital Expenditure (CAPEX).
Under the OPEX model, an investor will install a solar power system using its own funds. Under the CAPEX model, institutions with their own revenue sources will be able to install solar systems based on projected future earnings.
According to the Cabinet press release, existing regulations do not provide sufficiently clear provisions on long-term electricity pricing, the use of electricity as payment for rooftop space, or maintenance arrangements when solar systems are installed by service providers under the OPEX model.
Similarly, existing laws lack clear provisions governing the installation of solar systems and the receipt of services under the CAPEX model.
The government has therefore initiated the new ordinance to establish rules governing investment, service delivery and maintenance in the sector. The proposed framework is expected to clarify investment arrangements and define the responsibilities of the parties involved in rooftop solar projects.
Ministry to be renamed
The Cabinet approved a proposal submitted by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs to rename it the Ministry of Women and Children.
Bangladesh to join Rotterdam Convention
The Cabinet also approved a proposal submitted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for Bangladesh to join the Rotterdam Convention, an international treaty governing trade in certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides.
The treaty, formally known as the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, was adopted on September 10, 1998, and entered into force on February 24, 2004, according to the Cabinet press release.
The Cabinet briefing materials state that 167 countries have joined the convention. Among member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), all countries except Bangladesh and Bhutan are parties to the treaty.
Joining the convention is expected to strengthen Bangladesh’s capacity to manage hazardous chemicals, facilitate access to foreign funding for relevant projects, support the development of a chemical information database and improve the monitoring of chemical substances.
Membership would allow Bangladesh to make prior informed consent-based decisions on the import and export of chemicals listed in Annex III of the convention. It would also strengthen the framework for sharing responsibilities between importing and exporting countries in international trade.
Under Article 14, which deals with information exchange, Bangladesh would be able to exchange scientific, technical, economic and legal information on hazardous chemicals and pesticides with other member states.
Article 16 would also provide opportunities for Bangladesh to receive technical assistance from the Rotterdam Convention Secretariat to improve chemical management.
The Cabinet’s approval clears the way for Bangladesh to take the next steps towards joining the international treaty.