Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forests, Climate Change and Water Resources, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, said that housing is not a luxury, it must be recognized as a fundamental human right.
She also said that the necessary number of modern housing must be provided under state management not only in urban areas but also in rural areas. Settlements must be developed by ensuring not only a place to lay one’s head, but also necessary infrastructure including electricity, water, gas, transportation.
She said these things as the chief guest at a discussion organized on the occasion of World Habitat Day 2025 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital today, Monday (October 6, 2025).
In this discussion, under the theme ‘Planned Development Stream, Response to Urban Problems’, she said that disaster-resilient, environment-friendly and decentralized housing systems must be developed for all.
At the discussion meeting, Adilur Rahman Khan, Adviser to the Ministry of Housing, Public Works and Industries, said that the impact of climate change is being manifested in a severe form in coastal cities. Increasing waterlogging and salinity are putting public life, agriculture and urban infrastructure in deep crisis. An important step to solve all these problems is to build a planned and livable city.
At the event, the guests unveiled the World Habitat Day commemorative book and later visited various stalls of the three-day Habitat Fair.
The discussion meeting was presided over by the Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, Md. Nazrul Islam. The guest speaker was Sonali Dayaratne, Deputy Housing Coordinator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
In addition, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, Md. Abdul Matin, Chairman of the Capital Development Authority, Engineer Md. Riazul Islam, Chairman of the National Housing Authority, Mosa. Ferdousi Begum, Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department Mohammad Shamim Akhtar, and Chief Architect of the Architecture Department Md. Asifur Rahman Bhuiyan, along with representatives of various organizations, spoke.
