Around 20 new apartments will be constructed on the Minto Road and Hare Road for the ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers to resolve the policy makers’ housing crisis in the country.
The Ministry of Housing and Public Works will implement the project, said officials at the ministry yesterday, adding that the building code will be fully followed in the project in order to keep intact the legacy of the area.
Earlier, the ministry had constructed 20 more apartments in the same area for the ministers during ruling Awami League’s 1996-2001 government.
Housing and Public Works Minister Mosharraf Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune last week: “We are planning to build the new apartments in the posh area considering the scarcity of standard accommodation for the policymakers.”
He said most of the existing buildings of the areas had become unlivable. Moreover, now it had become tough to maintain them properly.
But the government would not like to destroy the old buildings, keeping in mind their heritage value. Instead, new apartments would be built at the abandoned vacant spaces on the Minto Road and Hare Road area, he added.
When asked about the number of unusable buildings in the area, the minister said, “We are yet to assess the number concretely. But, it will be done shortly to build the necessary number of apartments.”
“We will construct 20 new apartments for the minister’s use initially. The construction will be started soon as per legal procedures,” said Mosharraf.
He continued, “After completion of the construction of new apartments, the ministers residing in the risky or below-standard houses will be shifted to those apartments. The risky or bellow standard houses will be renovated then.”
The buildings would be constructed with the money from the annual development budget of the ministry. Around four or five high-rises might be constructed in this regard, he informed.
There are around 70 houses and apartments on the Minto Road, Hare Road and Bailey Road area, known as ministers’ residential area in the city.
Apart from ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers, advisors to the prime minister and opposition leader, top bureaucrats and police personnel also live in the area.
The area also houses Dhaka Metropolitan Police headquarters and office of the Detective Branch of the police and several state guest houses.
