As Workers Die Fighting for a Minimum Wage, Government Announces $2 Billion Housing Project for Public Servants

❐ Staff Reporter

The garment sector is in turmoil. Just as workers are being mercilessly beaten and killed by government security forces and party terrorists who took to the streets demanding minimum wages, the announcement came at a time when an initiative to build three new multi-storey buildings at a cost of Tk 200 crore to house government officials and employees in Jigatola, Dhanmondi, came.

It is learned that each 13-storey building will have 850 square feet of flats. The total number of flats in the three buildings is 184. This project has been taken up to increase the housing facilities of employees from 10th to 12th grade.

The project titled ‘Ensuring improved and quality housing for government officials and employees’ was approved at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) held at the Secretariat on Wednesday.

A total of 13 projects were approved in the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The total cost of implementing these projects is estimated at Tk 58,880 crore.

According to the project proposal of the Planning Commission, the target has been set to complete the construction of the residential buildings between October 2026 and September 2029. The Public Works Department will implement the project and the government will provide the entire funding. For this, about 2.44 acres of land has been identified in Jigatola.

Under the project, three new multi-storey buildings will be constructed by demolishing buildings 1, 2, 3 and 4 of Jigatola Government Colony. Approval has already been received from the Building Condemnation Committee for the removal of the four old buildings.

Earlier, during the previous government, residential buildings were constructed in different areas of the capital for government officials. Five multi-storey buildings were constructed in the wood factory area of ​​Section 6 of Mirpur and six in the Shialbari area. In addition to these 14-storey buildings, another 15 multi-storey residential buildings were constructed in Noakhali and Narayanganj.

However, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman emphasized the importance of reviewing the use and allocation situation of existing buildings before taking up new housing projects.

He said there is a housing crisis for government officials and employees.

However, if the constructed buildings are not being used or are not allocated properly, the reason needs to be investigated. The problem of why the buildings remain vacant after construction should be solved first. Then, the issue of taking up a new project can be considered.

Meanwhile, out of the 13 projects approved in Wednesday’s ECNEC meeting, 11 are new and two are revised. Out of the Tk 58,880 crore allocated for all the projects, government funding is Tk 50,410 crore. Tk 7,974 crore will come from project loans and the related organizations will have their own funding of Tk 730 crore.