Dhaka, May 5 (UNB) - Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury on Sunday urged the real estate companies to think out of the box to provide affordable housing to people in the cities.

“Bangladesh has been able to boost its economic growth with private sector’s contributions. The government is developing infrastructures of the country. Now a partnership is needed between public and private sectors. You (real estate businessmen) should think how to arrange affordable housing here,” he said.

The minister said this at a seminar on “Challenges of Real Estate in Urbanization and Decentralization” organised by DCCI at a hotelin the capital.

Saifuzzaman said, “We  all know Dhaka is a densly-populated city and the government has taken a good number of development projects to make this city worth living.  The government is introducing ‘online e-mutation’ system from June this year and the land owners will be able to pay the fees online.”

He also said the government is planning to go for land-zoning soon, and urged real estate entruprenuers to build satellite towns under public-private partnership.

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President of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI)  Osama Taseer said Dhaka city is no longer a livable city now. Safe and inclusive rehabilitation in the city is needed for sustainable development by 2030. So, a national mega plan on land use should be taken for flourishing the housing sector and building planned cities, he said.

DCCI Vice President Imran Ahmed, DCCI Convenor Arman Haque, Professor of BUET Dr Ahsanul Kabir, former Senior Vice Presidents of DCCI Abdus Salam and MS Shekil Choudhury, DCCI Directors Engr. Akber Hakim, Andaleeb Hasan, Alhaj Deen Mohammad, Enamul  , Kh. Rashedul Ahsan, KMN Manjurul Hoque, Md. Rashedul Karim Munna, Nuher Latif Khan, SM Zillur Rahman and former DCCI President Rashed Maksud Khan were also present on the occasion.