Solving Dhaka's accommodation problems
Friday, 6 July 2018
Most residents of Dhaka city are living in rented accommodations. A significant portion of their monthly salary is spent on house rent. Bangladesh has a population of over 170 million and it is expected to increase to 240-280 million by 2050. Some strategies can help to accommodate this growing population.
For example, compact townships can accommodate additional people in the urban areas. A compact township includes all kind of units required for a community including office spaces, schools, healthcare, retail outlets, government offices etc. within the township.
Also, the government can take the initiative to construct apartment buildings. Under this, low-cost flats can be provided to homeless people of Dhaka in exchange for small monthly instalments.
The government can also arrange loan on low-interest rates for middle-income people so that they can buy flats and live in them. They can pay the monthly instalments instead of rent.
If we do not take long-term projects, then we are going to face a serious housing crisis in the near future. The time to take some bold steps towards solving this problem is now as rent of flats and other accommodations continue to skyrocket.
Sajjad Hossain
Gulshan, Dhaka