After years of discussions, conflict and developer-driven pressure, the long-awaited amended draft of the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) for Dhaka has finally been completed.
The draft is now set to be placed before the DAP Advisory Council Committee for final approval, marking a significant step towards reshaping the urban landscape of the capital city.
At a high-level meeting held at the Secretariat on Sunday, with Housing and Public Works Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan in the chair, who officially finalised the draft that incorporates major changes to key aspects of urban planning, including Floor Area Ratio (FAR), housing density and zoning in rural-urban fringes.
If all goes as planned, officials said, the amended gazette will be published within a month.
The secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, Cairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, President of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners and Institute of Architects Bangladesh, Vice President of the Institution of Engineers Bangladesh and senior officials from relevant agencies, including the Public Works Department and Roads and Highways Department were present at the meeting.
A long road to consensus
According to sources at the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, the government undertook a comprehensive consultation process, holding 37 meetings in total—three at the advisory level, four at the secretary level, ten committee-level discussions formed by the ministry and 20 stakeholder meetings led by Rajuk (Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha)
The revised draft includes adjustments to FAR in 16 low-density blocks located in rural-urban fringe areas such as Dasherkandi, Kanchpur, Moynartek, Alipur, Ruhitpur, Birulia and Bongram, allowing for marginal increases to building capacity in those regions.
However, the FAR for central and urban zones remains unchanged, maintaining the density balance in the city core.
The draft also takes into account the 2011 BBS household size data to recalibrate housing unit calculations, aligning projections with demographic realities.
Key future
A key feature of the revised DAP (2022–2035) is its provision for periodic updates every five years. To implement this, the government plans to form a technical committee within a year that will support Rajuk in upgrading and improving the plan.
Talking to UNB, Rajuk Chief Town Planner (CTP) Md Ashraful Islam said, "This committee will provide both policy-level and technical guidance to enhance Dhaka's livability."
He said the draft had been finalised and would soon be sent to the DAP Advisory Council for final endorsement.
Asked about the expected timeline, Ashraful said, "Given the broad consensus at the meeting and subject to the council's approval, we hope the gazette will be published within a month."
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Developers' demands push amendment forward
The push to amend the DAP began shortly after the original gazette was published on August 24, 2022. Real estate developers and landowners strongly opposed several zoning and FAR regulations they claimed were too restrictive for sustainable growth.
Even after a shift in political leadership and the establishment of an interim government, the pressure from developers remained unrelenting.
The tension reached a peak on May 20 this year when the Dhaka City Land Owners' Association staged a demonstration, encircling the Rajuk building and threatening to halt all Rajuk operations unless their demands were met.
In response, the government took steps to review and revise the plan. On December 15, 2024, it formed a seven-member advisory committee to oversee the implementation and amendment of DAP under Rajuk's jurisdiction.
The amended plan aims to balance development goals with environmental concerns, urban density and infrastructure capability, said Rajuk CTP Ashraful.
"We've tried to be pragmatic. FAR will go up slightly across various zones -- both small and large plots will benefit. That's a win-win for developers and planners alike," he said.
What's next?
While the final nod from the advisory council remains pending, officials are confident the last leg of the process will move swiftly.
Once approved, the government will move forward with the publication of the amended DAP gazette.
For a city struggling with overpopulation, experts said, traffic congestion and unregulated construction, the new DAP promises to be a roadmap for a more organised, livable and sustainable Dhaka if it is implemented with the same consensus it was drafted with.
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