Only ministers to be allocated housing in Dhaka’s ministerial zone

Several government bungalows and apartments in Dhaka’s Bailey Road, Minto Road, Hare Road and Gulshan areas were originally built to house ministers. 

Although these neighbourhoods came to be known as Mantripara (the ministerial zone), they are now occupied by election commissioners, Anti-Corruption Commission officials, judges and other holders of key constitutional posts. 

The interim government now wants to reserve these residences exclusively for ministers. 

The government accommodation directorate, an agency under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, has already identified 71 such bungalows and apartments and proposed that they be formally reserved for ministers only. 

Housing officials say that separate residential facilities already exist for many holders of important constitutional offices, yet some of them are living in the ministerial zone instead. This has undermined the policy of separating specific residences for specific offices. 

In response, the authorities have moved to formally designate all 71 bungalows and apartments in the ministerial zone for ministers alone. 

According to accommodation directorate sources, a gazette notification issued in 2013 had earmarked 41 bungalows and apartments in the Bailey Road, Minto Road and Hare Road areas for ministers. That notification was withdrawn by the Ministry of Public Works on 22 October last year. 

On 2 November, a seven-member committee was formed, with accommodation directorate director Md Asaduzzaman as its convener, to re-designate residences for ministers. 

The committee has since submitted its report, recommending that 30 additional apartments be added to the earlier list of 41, bringing the total to 71. Of the newly added units, 19 are on Bailey Road, five in Gulshan, five in Dhanmondi and one on Minto Road. 

“We have recommended that 71 houses be earmarked,” said committee convener Md Asaduzzaman. “The final decision will now be taken by the government.” 

Officials at the Ministry of Public Works, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the committee was formed because there was a clear mismatch between the original housing plan for ministers and how the residences were actually being used. They said it was necessary to clearly define who is entitled to live in these areas. 

Sources noted that although 41 bungalows and flats were designated for ministers in 2013, judges and constitutional office-holders began receiving allocations there during the tenure of the ousted Awami League government. The number increased further after the July mass uprising.

Housing officials warned that once a new cabinet is formed after the 13th parliamentary election, arranging accommodation for incoming ministers could become problematic, as it would be difficult to ask constitutional office-holders to vacate the residences. 

To prevent new non-ministerial occupants from moving in once current residents leave after completing their terms, the authorities have decided to reintroduce strict earmarking.

Preparations are under way to enforce a policy under which only ministers will be allowed to live in the 71 earmarked bungalows and flats.

Officials said that allowing others to occupy housing meant for ministers could create a shortage for future cabinets and raise questions about the authority or justification under which certain individuals are residing there. This, they said, is why the government has decided to specify a fixed number of residences as part of the ministerial zone.

There are 15 ministerial bungalows on Minto Road and Hare Road, several of which are currently occupied by advisers. In addition, there are three buildings known as the Ministers’ Apartments on Bailey Road, each with 10 flats, designed to house 30 ministers. Each flat measures roughly 5,500 square feet. 

At present, these apartments are occupied by advisers, judges, senior bureaucrats and other influential figures. All 30 flats are now being newly earmarked for ministers; previously, only 11 had such designation.

The committee’s report also identified eight additional houses in Gulshan and Dhanmondi and recommended formally earmarking them. In Gulshan, a single-storey house on 34 per cent of a plot once occupied by former law minister Anisul Huq—now in prison—is currently vacant.

Another bungalow on Road 84 in Gulshan, built on a 106 per cent plot, is registered in the name of Sheikh Rehana, sister of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina. In Dhanmondi, another house is registered in the name of former secretary Hedayetullah Al Mamun.

Sources said that under the current system, these bungalows are often allocated on the basis of administrative necessity or temporary decisions. Such allocations, however, have created policy ambiguity and added to security and administrative complications in the ministerial zone.

Officials added that no final decision has yet been made on what will happen to current occupants if the new policy is enforced. Discussions are ongoing at various levels of the administration.