Construction of any kind of infrastructure, including residential buildings, in the capital will require one more regulatory clearance.
Anyone seeking to build such structures will have to obtain such permission from the city corporations in addition to the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK).
Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives (LGRD) Minister Md Tajul Islam divulged the government decision at a high-profile meeting at the ministry on Sunday.
The decision would, however, be implemented after completing necessary formalities, said a senior official, who attended the meeting.
"The decision will put an additional pressure on the city dwellers. It should be reviewed in the interest of the people," Architect and Urban Designer Iqbal Habib told the FE.
Meeting sources said the minister also requested the mayors of the city corporations to make sure that the service seekers will not face any harassment in this regard.
The LGRD ministry organised the meeting to review the initiatives taken by the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Chattogram City Corporation to solve the water-logging problems in the cities during the upcoming rainy season.
DSCC Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, DNCC Mayor Md Atiqul Islam (virtually), CCC Mayor Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, LGD senior secretary Helaluddin Ahmed, and Housing and Public Works secretary Md Shahid Ullah Khandaker were present, among others, at the meeting.
Speaking at the meeting, the minister also urged the authorities of the city corporations and RAJUK also to ensure regular monitoring of the infrastructure construction sites.
He further called upon the city corporation authorities and other departments concerned to work collectively for addressing the public sufferings due to the water-logging.
He said that the encroachment of canals is responsible for water-logging and instructed the mayors of the city corporations to take any stern action whatever necessary to recover the encroached canals of the cities.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com