Title: Impacts of environmental laws on land development and developers in Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Authors: Md. Jahangir Alam, Mokbul Morshed Ahmad

Addresses: Regional and Rural Development Planning, School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand. ' Regional and Rural Development Planning, School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand

Abstract: The fast paced land and housing development projects in Dhaka City since 1980s had generated irregularities in developers| real estate projects and policy deviations in the Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan (DMDP). This paper explores the causes of the irregularities and reasons that trapped many buyers in the developers| unauthorised housing projects and violation of some regulations. The study argues that the untimely promulgation of laws, namely: The Natural Water Body, Open Space, Park/Play Ground Preservation Rule 2000, Private Housing Project Land Development Rules 2004 (PHPLD Rules 2004), and Real Estate Development and Management Act 2010 (REDM Act 2010) could be largely responsible for the present crisis. This paper suggests that modification of the DMDP policies and relevant laws should be urgently undertaken in order to bring about solidity and smooth functioning of the land and real estate market in Dhaka. The study also suggests that an independent assessment agency could be commissioned to assess the situation and minimise the risks of buyers and the irregularities of developers by disseminating the relevant information to respective agencies and concerned persons.

Keywords: real estate development; environmental laws; irregularities; landlocked; Dhaka; Bangladesh; sustainable development; sustainability; land development; housing development; policy deviations; unauthorised housing; regulations.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESD.2011.041972

International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development, 2011 Vol.10 No.2, pp.169 - 188

Received: 08 Jun 2010
Accepted: 05 Feb 2011
Published online: 21 Feb 2015 *

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