Bangladesh: Cabinet body okays Malaysian offer for building Rajuk’s 8,400 flats

Dhaka, July 7, 2014 (New Age): The cabinet economic affairs committee on Sunday in principle approved an offer of the Malaysian government to construct 8,400 flats for Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha. The committee at a meeting with finance minister AMA Muhith in the chair approved the proposal with some recommendations, said cabinet division’s joint secretary Mustafizur Rahman while briefing newsmen about the proceedings of the meeting. He, however, did not give any details of the recommendations. The Malaysian government has offered to construct the flats under a government-to-government agreement on design-build-transfer basis. To this effect, RAJUK and the Malaysian authority have already signed a memorandum of understanding in April this year. After the cabinet purchase body’s approval, RAJUK would sign the final agreement with the Malaysian authority for implementing the project. As per the proposal, the Malaysian government would construct a total of 100 multistoried buildings at B and C blocks in Uttara. Each of the buildings would be 16-storey having 84 flats. RAJUK officials said the Malaysian authority would be responsible for designing and building the apartments within 30 months from the date of signing the final agreement. RAJUK would finance the project from its own sources. According to the RAJUK officials, they have a plan to build a total of 12,000 apartments in ‘B’ and ‘C’ blocks in Uttara project. After 8,400 flats, the remaining 3,600 flats would be built later under another contract with the Malaysian authority in the second phase. They said Malaysia would use modern technology to build the high-rises which would cover everything, including keeping the buildings risk-free from earthquake and other natural calamities. Bangladesh signed an MoU with Malaysia on April 28 to build a 13-km flyover and 12,000 apartments in Uttara. The flyover will be constructed from Shantinagar to Jhilmil Project in Keraniganj while the 12,000 apartments would be constructed at Uttara 3rd phase.