Housing and Public Works Minister Zakaria Taher has said master plans will be prepared to ensure planned urbanisation from major cities to the upazila level across the country.

The plans will determine zoning and specify what types of structures and development can be undertaken in particular areas, he said.

The minister made the remarks while addressing a Smart City Conclave as the chief guest at a hotel in the capital on Wednesday (7 October).

He said the Urban Development Directorate (UDD) is working on a 10-year plan, initially focusing on metropolitan cities before extending the master-planning process to major cities and eventually upazilas.

“Development without a master plan means working randomly after setting a target. The government wants to work on the basis of specific plans,” he said, adding that the UDD is being strengthened and given priority for this purpose.

Emphasising the need for adequate data for proper planning, Zakaria said a new and reliable census was necessary as the latest population census was conducted some time ago.

On unauthorised buildings in the capital, he said building designs had been approved in many areas under the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) and the Housing and Public Works Ministry, while many structures had been built without approval in other areas.

He said authorities were working to identify such buildings.

The minister also highlighted environmental concerns in Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara and Hatirjheel, saying there were around 4,300 houses in Gulshan, Banani and Baridhara.

“Seventy to 80% of these houses do not have septic tanks and soak wells as required under the plans,” he said, adding that many buildings also lacked sewage treatment plants (STPs).

He said several meetings had been held with relevant societies and agencies to protect the environment in these areas.

“If we cannot improve the water quality of the lakes in Gulshan and Baridhara, it will be difficult to improve environmental management across the country,” he said.

Zakaria said six new development authorities had been established over the past seven months for Mymensingh, Sylhet, Cumilla, Narayanganj, Rangpur and Barishal, in addition to four existing authorities.

Work on establishing a development authority for Bogura is also progressing, he said.

In areas without development authorities, city corporations often approve and implement building plans, which, he said, resulted in inadequate oversight.

He said buildings were also being constructed in various parts of Dhaka without approval or in violation of approved designs, and the government was taking steps to bring such issues under a comprehensive legal framework.

A new set of regulations is being drafted to prevent construction without approved designs and deviations from approved plans, the minister said, adding that it could be placed before the Cabinet within a month.

Once approved, the regulations would strengthen monitoring of building construction, he said.