Housing and Public Works Minister Engr Mosharraf Hossain on Thursday stressed the need for taking initiatives to set up planned housing in rural areas, aiming to protect arable land.
“It’s learnt that at least 235 hectares of cultivable land are being lost every day due to the unplanned housing in rural areas,” he said while addressing the inaugural session of ‘Housing Finance Fair-2017’ at Hotel Sonargaon in the city.
Advocating for setting up multi-storey buildings in rural areas to save cultivable land, the Housing Minister said if the trend of land decline continues, it will cast an adverse impact on the country’s food security.
“So, it’ll be wise to go for an alternative housing solution in rural areas.”
Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation (BHBFC) organised the Housing Fair in collaboration with the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB).
Chaired by BHBFC managing director Debasish Chakrawarty, the inaugural session of the fair was addressed, among others, by senior secretary of Financial Institutions Division Md Eunusur Rahman, REHAB president Alamgir Shamsul Alamin Planned housing
and BHBFC chairman Sheikh Aminuddin Ahmed.
Speaking as the chief guest, minister Mosharraf said around 72 percent of the country’s population are living in rural areas.
Noting that the government has taken a number of initiatives for ensuring planned rural housing, he said his ministry has already formulated a plan for 14 upazilas, while 7 more upazilas will be brought under the plan soon.
