New Secretariat at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar

Despite the Planning Commission’s objections, the government has decided to build a new Secretariat, the country’s administrative headquarters, at Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s behest. The public works ministry recently asked the commission to place the project plan involving the construction of a new secretarial complex at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar for approval by the ECNEC.
The ministry letter underscored the prime minister’s order to get the project rolling soon by resolving the issues raised by the commission’s Pre-Evaluation Committee (PEC). Planning Commission Member Arastu Khan said the committee informed the ministry about project shortcomings. “The ministry has recently asked to speed up the project’s final approval, saying it would be implemented after resolving the problems,” he said. He said the project report will be soon placed before the ECNEC. The new Secretariat will be located on a 32-acre plot within the International Trade Fair ground and a part of the Chandrima Udyan. A Planning Commission official said the new administrative hub would comprise four blocks. Two of them would house 32 major ministries and the other two the remaining 16 ‘smaller’ ministries. The complex, to be built at an estimated cost of Tk22.13 billion, would have an auditorium, a conference centre, bank, post office, mosque and a parking lot. The Public Works Department is expected have the complex ready by 2018, according to a news agency.