PM asks architects to design buildings in a planned way

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday asked the architects to design multistorey buildings in a planned way taking the movement of people and traffic in surrounding roads, open space and waste management into consideration.

She also asked them to ensure natural ventilation systems and proper verandas in the new multistoried housing projects to keep the indoor environment healthy.

“If you (architects) design any multistorey building project, it should be done keeping in mind the size of streets, possible traffic movement, rush of people, and waste management,” the Prime Minister said.

Sheikh Hasina was witnessing the conceptual presentation on four development projects of the Housing and Public Works Ministry at her office.

She put emphasis on enactment of a new law to protect land by preventing the mushrooming growth of buildings here and there in the city.

Talking about a housing project, Hasina said, “This is not good for health to stay always under Air Conditioner (AC). So, it needs to keep natural ventilation system to ensure proper light and air movement inside the flats.”

She suggested keeping sewerage line on one side of the proposed projects instead of all sides of those.

The four projects presented before the Prime Minister are the revised master plan for the construction of multistoried residential flat project for government officials at Azimpur Government Colony in Dhaka, a project for constructing 20-storey building at Bangladesh Secretariat keeping a long space for the cabinet meeting, construction of multistorey buildings at Sher-e Bangla Nagar on 43 acres of land following the design of world famous architect Luis I Kahn, and construction of a 20-storey multipurpose building at Hatirjheel in the capital.

The Prime Minister okayed a proposal of engaging architect Henry Wilcot, an associate Luis I Kahn, as an overseas consultant or an adviser to Sher-e Banglanagar multi-storey building project.

The 20-storey superstructure building being constructed at Bangladesh Secretariat at a cost of Tk 4.2 billion has two basements while an option has also been kept for holding cabinet meetings there.

After witnessing a project proposal of the construction of multipurpose amenity building with car-parking facility at Hatirjheel at a cost of Tk 5.0 billion, the Prime Minister proposed to build the 20-storey building beside the Padma or the Jamuna rivers instead of Hatirjheel.

Housing and Public Works Minister SM Rezaul Karim, PM’s Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman, PMO Secretary Sajjadul Hassan and Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim were present on the occasion.

Immediate past Chief Architect of the Architecture Department Kazi Golam Nasir, Rajuk Chief Engineer ASM Raihanul Ferdous and Assistant Architect of the Architecture Department Sayeda Saika Binte Alam highlighted various key features of the projects through a power-point presentation.