DAP relaxes building height limits for the influential: Architects  | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Friday
June 13, 2025

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2025
DAP relaxes building height limits for the influential: Architects 

Infrastructure

TBS Report
26 September, 2022, 10:10 pm
Last modified: 26 September, 2022, 10:59 pm

Related News

  • Landowners threaten Rajuk shutdown over DAP amendment demands
  • A FAR-fetched plan?: Urban planners and builders lock horns over Dhaka's revised DAP
  • DAP revision delayed, building heights to be adjusted 
  • DAP revision in final stages, allowing taller buildings with more floor space
  • Revised DAP within a month to solve building height disparity: RAJUK chairman

DAP relaxes building height limits for the influential: Architects 

TBS Report
26 September, 2022, 10:10 pm
Last modified: 26 September, 2022, 10:59 pm
TBS file photo
TBS file photo

Under the pressure of influential groups, the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) has given a special concession on the height limit of buildings in just five locations including the Bashundhara, Jalshiri, Jhilmil and Gulshan residential areas among a total of 346 Dhaka blocks, alleged the Institute of Architects Bangladesh.

The professional organisation for architects in Bangladesh has demanded that the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), which has prepared the DAP 2022-2035, should come out of such an approach and revise the plan.

"The maximum floor area ratio (FAR) standard of 5-6 has been given in just 1% area of Dhaka city. It means buildings can be constructed with double the number of floors of the FAR standard," Architect Iqbal Habib, convener of the working group on DAP of the institute, said in his keynote presentation at an event on Monday.

The Business Standard Google News Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel

FAR is an index to determine the size and height of a building, he said at a stakeholder meeting titled "Gazetted DAP: Review, Evaluation and Feedback" held at the auditorium of the institute.

Infographic: TBS
Infographic: TBS

Iqbal Habib alleged that Rajuk had finally convinced the LGRD minister to approve DAP. Even the prime minister does not know that DAP has given such a priority to some influential groups.

Taking a dig at Rajuk for its failure to ensure compliance in building constructions, he said it is not possible to implement DAP by Rajuk which says 87% of the buildings in Dhaka are illegal or unauthorised.

The architect said the FAR that was given in the draft DAP for the Bashundhara Residential Area, Jalshiri Housing Project Area, Jhilmil Project Area and Gulshan area has been increased by three times.

"All those who got FAR above four are from Gulshan, Baridhara and Dhanmondi areas. It has been done to give privilege to the rich. And relatively underdeveloped areas such as Mohammadpur, Badda, Shankar, Adabar and Tolarbagh have been given the lowest FAR," he added.

Iqbal Habib also said, out of 346 blocks of Dhaka city, 5-6 FAR standard has been given for just five blocks, 4-5 for 10 blocks, 3-4 for 19 blocks and 1-3 for all the rest.

He said on the land where an 8-storey building could be constructed as per the Dhaka Building Construction Rules 2008, now a 4-6 storey building can be built there under DAP.

He also said the decentralisation of Dhaka requires the development of surrounding areas. But DAP allowed the highest four-storey building constructions in Gazipur, three-storey in Ashulia, Pubail, Keraniganj and Rupganj.

The architect said, according to DAP's expected population density of 200 to 250 people per acre of land, the net residential population in the central region of Dhaka will be 390 people in 2035. But according to the DAP estimate, there will be 531 people per acre in Dhaka, which means 141 people will be out of the housing plan.

Architect Mubasshar Hussain, president of the institute, said many people will have to leave Dhaka as per the DAP.

"How to evict large sections of the population, how to ask them to leave, is our question," he added.

Dewan Abdul Mannan, a ward councillor of the Dhaka North City Corporation, came down hard on Rajuk, saying "it has turned into a bribe-taking institution".

"Rajuk is making a mockery of DAP. Where earlier eight-storey houses could be built, according to the current DAP, four-storey houses can be built there. This will create anger among people," he added.

Ashraful Islam, DAP project director at Rajuk, refuted the allegations made by the architects.  

"At present, as per the average density recommended by DAP, it will be possible to accommodate a maximum of 6.36 crore people in the Rajuk areas," he told The Business Standard. 

Top News

DAP / Architect / Detailed Area Plan (DAP)

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Infographics: TBS
    Lengthy legal road ahead to repatriate Saifuzzaman's wealth from UK
  • From fact-checker to fact-checked: CA Press Wing’s turn in the hot seat
    From fact-checker to fact-checked: CA Press Wing’s turn in the hot seat
  • Wreckage of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner showing part of its registration "VT-ANB" in Ahmedabad, India, June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Amit Dave
    Air India Dreamliner crashes into Ahmedabad college hostel, kills over 290

MOST VIEWED

  • Keir Starmer declines to meet CA Yunus: FT report
    Keir Starmer declines to meet CA Yunus: FT report
  • Wreckage of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner showing part of its registration "VT-ANB" in Ahmedabad, India, June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Amit Dave
    Air India Dreamliner crashes into Ahmedabad college hostel, kills over 290
  • Saifuzzaman Chowdhury. Photo: Collected
    UK crime agency now freezes assets of ex-land minister Saifuzzaman: AJ
  • File Photo of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus: UNB
    Prof Yunus to receive Harmony Award from King Charles today
  • Infofgraphics: TBS
    DGHS issues 11-point directive to prevent spread of Covid-19 in Bangladesh
  • Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur. TBS Sketch
    Bangladesh mulls settlements with tycoons over offshore wealth: BB governor tells FT

Related News

  • Landowners threaten Rajuk shutdown over DAP amendment demands
  • A FAR-fetched plan?: Urban planners and builders lock horns over Dhaka's revised DAP
  • DAP revision delayed, building heights to be adjusted 
  • DAP revision in final stages, allowing taller buildings with more floor space
  • Revised DAP within a month to solve building height disparity: RAJUK chairman

Features

Among pet birds in the country, lovebirds are the most common, and they are also the most numerous in the haat. Photo: Junayet Rashel

Where feathers meet fortune: How a small pigeon stall became Dhaka’s premiere bird market

1d | Panorama
Illustration: Duniya Jahan/ TBS

Forget Katy Perry, here’s Bangladesh’s Ruthba Yasmin shooting for the moon

2d | Features
File photo of Eid holidaymakers returning to the capital from their country homes/Rajib Dhar

Dhaka: The city we never want to return to, but always do

3d | Features
Photo collage shows political posters in Bagerhat. Photos: Jannatul Naym Pieal

From Sheikh Dynasty to sibling rivalry: Bagerhat signals a turning tide in local politics

5d | Bangladesh

More Videos from TBS

Banks' estimates were wrong: Bangladesh Bank spokesperson

Banks' estimates were wrong: Bangladesh Bank spokesperson

7h | Podcast
What exactly happened to the ill-fated Boeing aircraft?

What exactly happened to the ill-fated Boeing aircraft?

8h | TBS World
Govt to set up Debt Office as loan burden to hit Tk29 lakh cr by FY28

Govt to set up Debt Office as loan burden to hit Tk29 lakh cr by FY28

9h | TBS Insight
Curfew imposed for second night in Los Angeles

Curfew imposed for second night in Los Angeles

9h | TBS World
EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2025
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net