The government has taken the initiative to construct three buildings in Dhaka’s ministers’ quarter. These buildings will have 72 flats, each ranging from 8,500 to 9,030 square feet in size. A project worth Tk 7.86 billion has been undertaken for this.
Bailey Road, Minto Road, and Hair Road are known as the ministers’ quarter of the capital. The new three buildings will be on Bailey Road and Minto Road. The new project states that housing will be arranged there for ministers, state ministers, deputy ministers, and heads of constitutional bodies, along with other important government officials.
Currently, there are 15 bungalows for ministers in the ministers’ quarter. On Bailey Road, there are also three buildings called the Ministers’ Apartments. Each building has between 10 and 30 flats, with each flat measuring 5,500 square feet. Besides the ministers’ quarter, housing is also provided for ministers in Gulshan and Dhanmondi.
In total, the government’s Department of Housing has identified 71 bungalows and flats in Dhaka for ministers’ residence. These have been proposed as specifically designated (air-marked) for ministers. As a result, there is effectively no housing shortage for ministers.
When asked why the initiative to construct 72 new, large flats was taken despite this, Abdul Matin, additional secretary of the Ministry of Public Works, told Prothom Alo that after 5 August 2024, many bungalows and flats were vacant.
Some of them are now occupied by officials holding constitutional positions. When asked why they reside in the ministers’ quarter despite having separate housing for constitutional officeholders, he said that the government has given them permission to live in the ministers’ quarter.
Sources say that officials are particularly keen on the new flat construction project. If ministers are allocated flats in the new buildings, these officials will be able to move into the currently large existing flats.
Separate housing arrangements already exist for individuals holding constitutional posts. Some flats there remain vacant, yet a few of these constitutional officeholders are residing in the ministers’ quarter.
Senior Supreme Court lawyer Shahdeen Malik remarked that it is better not to have members of the executive branch living alongside those from the judiciary and constitutional bodies, as it creates opportunities for undue influence.
On the construction of the new buildings, he says, during the British period, colonial rulers used to have bungalows on two to three bighas of land. Even today, four crore people in the country do not get two meals a day. Constructing such massive flats for the country’s ministers is highly disproportionate.
Swimming pool in every building
The project to construct buildings for ministers is named “Construction of three multi-storey residential buildings in Ramna, Dhaka, for ministers, state ministers, deputy ministers, and heads of constitutional bodies, along with other key government officials.” The project is being undertaken by the Department of Public Works.
On 8 January, a meeting chaired by public works secretary Nazrul Islam was held at the secretariat to discuss various aspects of the project. The meeting decided that the project will be implemented by 2028.
Documents show that the two new buildings will be on Bailey Road, on the sites of Bungalows 20 and 21. The other building will be on Minto Road, on the site of Bungalow 35. Currently, all three are two-storey duplex buildings. The Department of Public Works plans to convert them into 72 large flats across two tiers.
Each building will have 11 floors. On Bailey Road, the two buildings will contain 18 flats each, totaling 36 flats, with each flat measuring 9,030 square feet. The building on Minto Road will have 36 flats, each 8,500 square feet in size.
The relatively larger flats will be allocated to ministers, while the remaining flats will accommodate state ministers, deputy ministers, and officials holding constitutional positions. Part of each flat can also be used as office space.
In the capital, the upper-middle class typically live in flats measuring around 1,500 square feet. These flats usually have three bedrooms, a dining room, a living room, and three bathrooms.
The ministers’ flats will be nearly six times the size of such flats. On the other hand, lower-ranking government employees are allocated flats of at least 650 square feet. The size of the ministers’ flats will be roughly 14 times that of the employees’ housing.
The new project plans to include a gymnasium, community space for events, and a swimming pool in the ministers’ buildings. Each building’s swimming pool will be on the roof. Tk 30 million has been proposed for purchasing the swimming pool equipment and materials. However, the inclusion of the swimming pool was questioned at the 8 January meeting. Sources say several officials present remarked that having swimming pools in all three buildings would incur huge costs for operation and maintenance, and skilled personnel would also be needed to manage them.
Tk 200 million has been proposed for purchasing furniture and curtains for the three buildings. Sources say some officials still raised questions about such expenditure. After the discussion, the public works department was instructed to further verify the project’s costs. It is worth noting that the three Ministers’ Apartment buildings on Bailey Road do not have swimming pools.
The ministers’ quarters these days
During the July Mass Uprising, judges and some members of constitutional institutions, including the Election Commission and the Anti-Corruption Commission, were allowed to reside in the ministerial enclave. This practice continues even now.
The government’s Housing Department says this is not illegal. However, a former judge, speaking to Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity, said that the judiciary is one of the three branches of the state. He remarked that it is unethical for judges to reside in the same building or complex as ministers (now advisers). He added that during the Awami League government, a judge and the attorney general once stayed on the same floor of the same building, even though the attorney general is the government’s legal officer. Citizens approach judges for justice against the government.
The existing flats in the ministers' quarters have an area of 5,000 square feet. Each flat contains four large bedrooms, a drawing room, an office, a living room, a dining room, a kitchen, and six toilets. Police and Ansar personnel provide round-the-clock security in the reception area. At the main gate of the complex, police and Ansar officers take turns on duty. The environment of the complex is pleasant, with open spaces and greenery.
After the July mass uprising, former Supreme Court Appellate Division justices Enayetur Rahim and Md Abu Zafar Siddique, who had resigned, were residing in the ministers' quarters. In August 2023, BNP-leaning lawyers had demanded the resignation of these two judges. They alleged that during a discussion at the Supreme Court that year on National Mourning Day (now discontinued), the two judges had referred to themselves as “sworn politicians.”
In terms of revenue collection, the government is far behind. In such a situation, how much more burden will it bear, the shoulder is already broken.Zahid Hossain, Economist
On 5 August 2024, after the fall of the Awami League government in the July mass uprising, many bungalows and apartments became vacant. Several advisers of the interim government moved into them. Besides the chief adviser, there are 21 advisers. The previous government’s cabinet had more than 45 members. As a result, some flats remained unoccupied. These are allocated to important officials, and some are still requesting allocation, submitting letters. The Department of Government Housing cannot avoid the pressure from those holding constitutional posts.
Although housing is available for judges, officials in constitutional positions, and civil servants, secretaries have the Secretary Residence in Eskaton. In Kakrail, a 20-storey residential building, named Judges Complex, is provided for Supreme Court judges.
The Judges Complex, situated on one and a half acres, houses 76 flats. Each flat measures 3,500 square feet. According to the Ministry of Public Works, 24 of these flats are still vacant. Two of the vacant flats are being used as a gymnasium. Meanwhile, the multi-storey building on Eskaton Road, reserved for secretaries, also has vacant flats. However, officials from the Department of Government Housing could not immediately confirm the exact number. Each flat in the “Shachib Nibas” (quarters for secretaries) measures 3,500 square feet.
In the country, four crore people do not get two meals a day. For the ministers of that country, constructing such a huge flat is extremely out of place.Shahdin Malik, senior lawyer, Supreme Court
In this context, a project is underway to construct three buildings, which will house not only ministers but also individuals holding constitutional positions. On the matter, Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), told Prothom Alo that there is no legal barrier to accommodating executive branch officials alongside judges and commissioners of institutions such as the Anti-Corruption Commission or the Election Commission in the same building or complex. However, such an arrangement could pose a significant obstacle to ensuring governance that is free of conflicts of interest, accountable, and based on separation of powers. For those genuinely concerned with avoiding conflicts of interest, such a situation is awkward, while for those intending to exploit it, it could provide a special opportunity.
Iftikharuzzaman said, from an ethical standpoint, and particularly considering Bangladesh’s long-standing political, bureaucratic, and socio-cultural context, such an arrangement is best avoided.
‘The spine is already bent’
The country’s economic situation is not good. People are struggling amid high inflation. Investment and employment conditions are far from satisfactory. In the first six months of the current 2025–26 fiscal year (July–December), there was a shortfall of nearly Tk 460 billion in tax and duty collection. At a time like this, the National Pay Commission has recommended a 100–140 per cent increase in government employees’ salaries.
Former chief economist of the World Bank’s Dhaka office, Zahid Hossain, told Prothom Alo that the government is facing economic pressures on multiple fronts. In such a situation, projects like constructing luxury buildings should not even figure on the government’s agenda. He said the government has to spend Tk 2,000 billion to consolidate five banks and huge sums on the energy sector. Fulfilling even part of the electoral promises made by political parties will also require massive expenditure. Under these circumstances, initiatives like building luxury apartments or increasing government employees’ salaries by 100–140 per cent are simply unaffordable.
Zahid Hossain added that the government is far behind in revenue collection. In such a situation, he said, how much more burden can it bear when the shoulders are already breaking.