Dhaka’s latest amendments to the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) have raised concerns among urban planners and environmental experts about potential risks to the city’s development, environment, and public welfare. The changes, formalized in a recent government gazette, include stricter construction deadlines, land reclassification for industrial use, and revised guidelines for water-flow zones.
Under the new rules, construction on approved projects must progress to the plinth level within one year of final approval, or developers will face penalties amounting to 20 times the approval fee. Meanwhile, regulations regarding road width, setbacks, ground coverage, and building height remain unchanged.
Significantly, the amendments permit the reclassification of three plots—1,047, 1,048, and 1,050—in the Ailbahar mouza area under Shyampur and Kadamtali, shifting them from open space to heavy industrial use. This conversion requires clearances from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and the Dhaka South City Corporation, adherence to river-foreshore rules, and permission from the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) for construction.
Another modification adjusts Section 7.5.8(b), which deals with water-flow overlay zones. The amendment allows proposed land-use guidelines, including approved residential layouts, to dictate occupancy types when there is a conflict in land-use designations, though it excludes land officially designated as canals, ponds, roads, pathways, other water bodies, and government khas land.
A source within Rajuk has claimed the amendments were issued before the completion of the necessary technical review and approval procedures. According to the source, a government technical committee of nine members had advised against altering the classification of the three Ailbahar plots without securing no-objection certificates from BIWTA and the relevant city corporation. The committee was expected to carry out site inspections and evaluate environmental, ecological, and local community impacts before presenting a final report to the Rajuk Board.
Experts in urban planning have voiced criticism of the changes. Adil Mohammed Khan, executive director of the Institute for Planning and Development (IPD), argued that the amendments favor industrial and real estate interests at the expense of public welfare. He questioned the apparent lack of awareness among planners and Rajuk officials regarding the changes and stressed that major development modifications should follow thorough professional consultation and impartial evaluation. Khan expressed particular concern about weakening protections for open spaces, flood-flow areas, and riverfront zones, predicting that such actions could exacerbate Dhaka’s longstanding problems with flooding and environmental degradation. He also highlighted worries over industrial developments in areas like Jurain and Postogola and questioned repeated increases in floor area ratios (FAR) in eastern Dhaka, deeming them inconsistent with initial planning assumptions and population forecasts.
Dr. Muhammad Ariful Islam, president of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners, similarly condemned the manner in which the changes were implemented, emphasizing the need for proper consultation and transparency.
In response, the IPD issued a statement calling for the immediate revocation of the latest DAP amendment gazette. The institute demanded full disclosure of all amendments, a technical investigation into any possible corruption or commercial influence affecting the process, and reinforced protections for floodplains and waterways. It also urged that increases in FAR be closely aligned with population projections and the city’s infrastructure capacity. The IPD further criticized successive governments since 2022 for allegedly prioritizing business interests over the environmental sustainability and liveability of Dhaka, warning that the recent changes could place additional strain on the city’s already stretched infrastructure and undermine public welfare.