Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (Rajuk) has been asked to revise its deal with Malaysian authorities for the
construction of planned 8,400 flats under its Uttara residential housing project.
Instructing Rajuk to ensure environmental standards and all civic amenities, the Cabinet Economic Affairs Committee, the highest approval authority, says Rajuk, if necessary, must revise its memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Malaysian government, according to an official source.
The Cabinet body passed the recommendations while approving the Malaysian government’s proposal for the project on June 6. The recommendation was then approved by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
According to the source, the Cabinet body said the Malaysian authorities must ensure water supply, proper sanitation, waste management, power and gas supply, carbon emission and all relevant civic amenities in the housing project.
Another recommendation of the Cabinet body is that Rajuk must form a strong and efficient technical expert team comprising representatives from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) and other institutions to evaluate the technical and financial issues of the project and monitor the project at all stages.
To ensure the two recommendations, the Cabinet Economic Affairs Committee said Rajuk must revise its deal with the Malaysian authorities if it is found to be necessary.
While analysing the ‘unsolicited offer’ of the Malaysian government at its meeting, the Cabinet body found that many important and necessary issues have been left out from the deal for which the project may lack civic amenities and quality in construction works.
The Malaysian government has offered to construct the flats under a government-to-government (agreement on design-build-transfer (DBT) basis at its own cost.
To this effect, Rajuk and the Malaysian authorities have already signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in April this year.
As per the proposal, officials said, the Malaysian government will construct a total of 100 multistoried buildings at B and C blocks in Uttara Residential Model Town. Each of the buildings will be of 16-storey ones with 84 flats.
Rajuk officials said the Malaysian authorities will be responsible for designing and building the apartments within 30 months from the date of signing the final agreement.
According to the Rajuk officials, they have a plan to build a total of 12,000 apartments in ‘B’ and ‘C’ blocks in Uttara project.
After the construction of 8,400 flats, the remaining 3,600 will be built under another contract with the Malaysian authorities in the second phase.
They said, Malaysia will use modern technology in building the high-rises which will cover everything, including earthquake safety measures.
