Govt plans new Secretariat at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar despite Planning Commission objections

Despite the Planning Commission’s objections, the government has decided to build a new Secretariat, the country’s administrative headquarters, at Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s behest.

The public works ministry recently asked the commission to place the project plan involving the construction of a new secretarial complex at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar for approval by the ECNEC.

The ministry letter underscored the prime minister’s order to get the project rolling soon by resolving the issues raised by the commission’s Pre-Evaluation Committee (PEC).

The new Secretariat will be located on a 32-acre plot within the International Trade Fair ground and a part of the Chandrima Udyan.

A Planning Commission official said the new administrative hub would comprise four blocks.

Two of them would house 32 major ministries and the other two the remaining 16 ‘smaller’ ministries.

The complex, to be built at an estimated cost of Tk 22.13 billion, would have an auditorium, a conference centre, bank, post office, mosque and a parking lot.

The Public Works Department is expected have the complex ready by 2018.

A senior official from the plan panel told bdnews24.com that the project had been placed for initial ECNEC approval on June 6.

But the PEC raised certain objections in its meeting last month, pointing out that the plan had been drawn up without any survey or pre-evaluation.

The project proposal, for instance, lacked information on the land requirement to accommodate all the ministries and departments.

The PEC refused approval in view of several other aspects it felt were problematic.

The PEC wanted to know whether a complex, lower in height than that of the iconic Parliament building, designed by Louis Isadore Kahn, would have room enough for all the ministries and departments.

The Parliament building is 150 feet tall, and the secretariat complex would have to be restricted to nine storeys to keep it lower.

Buildings around Parliament have to be of a lesser height to leave Kahn’s design undisturbed.

Besides, if the secretariat complex were to be more than nine storeys, the security of prime minister’s residence Ganabhaban, located nearby, would stand compromised, the Planning Commission committee had noted.

It suggested the bolstering of Ganabhaban’s security shield with the help of information technology.

Besides the technicalities, the commission also questioned the rationale behind the project.

The commission felt the look of proposed secretariat complex would have to jell with the ambiance of Sangsad Bhaban, the parliament building.

It also felt Dhaka, the capital city, was in dire need of open spaces for rain water recharging of the water table.

The Planning Commission committee suggested shifting of the new secretariat’s location to at any other place, citing environmental concerns.

Housing and Public Works Minister Mosharraf Hossain told bdnews24.com that the ministry was keen to build the new complex, but not without resolving the issues raised by the commission.

“We’ll start the project after resolving the points,” he said.

Commission Member Arastu Khan said the panel informed the ministry about project shortcomings.

“The ministry has recently asked to speed up the project’s final approval, saying it would be implemented after resolving the problems,” he said.

He said the project report would be soon placed before the ECNEC.

When told about speculations that late president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s grave would be shifted from the Chandrima Udyan to make way for the project, Khan said there was no such suggestion in the proposal.

“The 32-acre plot mentioned in the plan is outside the Chandrima Udyan,” he said.

In 1974, Bangladesh had signed a deal with the US firm, David Wisdom and Associates, to build a 10-block Secretariat complex.

But the plan remained in abeyance all these years because for political uncertainties.

When the Awami League came to power in 1996, the then planning minister had initiated a move to implement it but failed to make headway.

Now, after 39 years, the project is likely to see the light of day.