Minister for Housing and Public Works Zakaria Taher has said that ensuring planned urbanisation and providing housing opportunities for low-income people are among the key priorities of the Government.
He said that, as one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, Bangladesh must prioritise green buildings and climate-resilient infrastructure. The use of eco-friendly construction materials, energy-efficient technologies and low-carbon designs will help reduce carbon emissions while strengthening the country's resilience to climate-induced disasters.
The Minister further stated that Bangladesh's urban population is projected to surpass its rural population by 2037, while more than 56 per cent of the country's population is expected to live in urban areas by 2050. Given the rapid pace of urbanisation and growing housing demand, there is no alternative to promoting sustainable construction practices.
The Minister made these remarks while addressing the "High-Level Strategic Workshop on Sustainable Buildings in Bangladesh: Towards a Greener, Safer and Climate-Resilient Built Environment" as the Chief Guest. The workshop was jointly organised by the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka today.
The workshop was chaired by Md. Nazrul Islam, Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works. Ahammad Sohel Monjur, State Minister for Housing and Public Works, attended the event as Special Guest. Among others present were Mr. Sudhir Muralidharan, Country Manager of UNOPS Bangladesh; Mr. Martín Arévalo de León, Representative and Head of the UNOPS Rome Liaison Office; and Ms. Celia Martinez Juez, Programme Management Officer, UNEP.
The Minister also noted that Bangladesh has already achieved remarkable progress in sustainable infrastructure development. To further institutionalise green construction, the HBRI DESH Sustainable Building Labelling Framework has been developed. He expressed hope that the framework would serve as an effective national guideline for promoting sustainable and green buildings across the country.
State Minister Ahammad Sohel Monjur said that, based on the recommendations of the workshop, the Government would formulate and implement the necessary policies and action plans in coordination with all relevant stakeholders to further strengthen sustainable and green construction practices in Bangladesh.
Senior officials of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) and the Public Works Department (PWD), along with representatives of development partners, experts and other stakeholders, also attended the workshop.
