The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Rescuers, including military personnel, are racing against time to reach tens of thousands of cyclone survivors, who are in urgent need of food, drinking water and shelter in remote areas of the storm battered districts of the southern coast.

The Armed Forces yesterday said military personnel have already reached 90 per cent of the affected areas with relief materials.

However, relief workers and journalists from the affected areas yesterday said they found survivors still looking for their dear ones, while corpses of victims, cattleheads and wild animals were floating on the shore of the Bay of Bengal, the many rivers, canals and other water bodies. Besides, bodies are being recovered from paddy fields and bushes.

The survivors are burying bodies en masse covering with leaves for there are no cloths to wrap corpses, they added.

Meanwhile, Save the Children, an international aid agency, yesterday said that it feared that 15,000 people could have died in the cyclone. Emergency workers said more than three million people had been affected by the storm and many of those who needed help most urgently were in hard-to-reach places.

BRAC, the country’s largest NGO, said standing aman and robi crops to the tune of Tk 2,000 crore have been destroyed by the fury of the Sidr that had hit Thursday evening to 9:00am on Friday. Of the destroyed crops-aman paddy loss was to the tune of Tk 1,500 crore, while robi crop Tk 500 crore.

Our Correspondent reports from Barisal: The deadly cyclone damaged crops of 15.5 lakh acres worth Tk 1,500 crore alone in Barisal division.

Barisal divisional agricultural office sources said cultivation of aman paddy was damaged in 7,98,368 out of 17,95,431 acres of cultivated lands in six districts of Barisal division.

This figure included aman paddy cultivations in 2,64,240 out 3,28,757 acres in Barisal, 2,48,694 out of 4,97,389 acres in Patuakhali, 1,06,629 out of 2,43,048 acres in Barguna, 50,897 out of 1,78,168 acres in Pirojpur, 31,949 out of 1,17,658 acres in Jhalakati and 95,957 out of 4,30,410 acres in Bhola districts.

The sources also said different types of vegetables and winter crops of 7,54,405 acres of land out of a total cultivated land of 19,31,725 acres in Barisal division sustained damages from hurricane Sidr.

Aid officials said they were struggling hard to reach the survivors with relief items, which was very small compared to the needs.

“There are many villages in remote areas, including on sandbank islands, that are yet to be reached,” said a senior official of Oxfam. “We don't know the losses in those regions. It could take weeks before we know exactly how bad this cyclone was.”

Up to 15,000 people were killed and seven million lives left devastated by the cyclone in Bangladesh last week, aid agencies said as the full extent of the disaster was becoming clearer.

Local officials said, in the worst affected districts, 90 per cent of homes and 95 per cent of rice crops and valuable prawn farms were obliterated by the winds at a speed reaching 185 kmph to 250 kmph whipping up 15 to 20 feet tidal surge.

Fallen trees and flooded roads are also seriously impeding the relief efforts to reach stricken coastal villages, with elephants being used in some areas to clear the large debris. Officials described the humanitarian situation in coastal districts like Barguna, 130 miles south of the capital, as the “worst in decades.”

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday visited different parts of the severely devastated Barguna and Patukhali districts. He distributed relief materials to the survivors and pledged all necessary assistance.

The Chief Adviser highly appreciated the bravery of the victims, who survived one of the worst cyclones of the century.

Tapan Chowdhury, Adviser for Food and Disaster Management, described the cyclone as a “national calamity” and urged all to come forward to help the victims.

Relief workers on the ground said supplies were still inadequate and that the Government should make an immediate international aid appeal to avert a humanitarian disaster.

“I have never seen such a catastrophe in my 20 years as a government administrator,” said a senior district official from Barguna, “Village after village have been shattered. Millions of people are living out in the open and relief is reaching to less than one per cent of the people.”

Many of the victims were found dehydrated and in a state of shock. Many of the survivors, who lost most of their family members, said they were afraid that the rest of them would also die of hunger.

International aid is pouring into Bangladesh in the wake of Thursday’s deadly cyclone Sidr that has left thousands dead and millions homeless in south-western districts of the country.

Since millions of survivors are now in dire need of food, water, medicine and shelter in the affected districts, many foreign countries and international humanitarian organizations have started responding to the needs of cyclone affected people.

Expressing profound shock at the huge losses of life and property, the United Nations, United States, Japan, European Union, Saudi Arabia, Italy, China, India, Germany and Switzerland announced emergency assistance for Bangladesh.

The Saudi government has announced a grant of US$ 100 million in relief assistance for Bangladesh’s cyclone victims.

The Saudi government has also decided to send 300 tons of food and

relief materials to Bangladesh by the middle of the next week.

Saudi Ambassador Abdullah Al Obaid Al Namla informed Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury of the grant and relief assistance announced by Saudi King Abdullah.

The Saudi envoy informed the Foreign Adviser that the Saudi King had expressed his willingness to build an “air-bridge” of relief with

Bangladesh.

Dr Iftekhar conveyed profound gratitude on behalf of the government for the assistance during at this difficult time of Bangladesh.

He also recalled the aid of US$50 million earlier the Saudi King

provided to Bangladesh in the wake of floods.

The European Union has pledges 6.5 million euros in aid to Bangladesh cyclone victims.

The EU yesterday pledged an additional 5 million euros (7.33 million dollars) in emergency aid to help the victims of Bangladesh's cyclone. The proposed new emergency funding comes on top of 1.5 million euros in fast-track aid allocated on Friday, bringing total contributions by the EU's executive, the Commission, to 6.5 million, officials in Brussels said.

The money would be used to meet vital needs for water, food, shelter and household items such as soap and cooking utensils, officials said.

In announcing the move, EU Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, spoke of the "shocking pictures" that had emerged from the coastal regions of Bangladesh.

Michel said "the enormous damage to infrastructure, coupled with losses of both crops and livestock," mean "urgent action is also needed on basic rehabilitation. Otherwise, disease and malnutrition could claim many more victims."

Some 3.3 million people have been affected by last week's cyclone, with 300,000 houses destroyed and twice as many severely damaged.

The Bangladesh Red Crescent (Cross) fears the number of deaths from cyclone Sidr could climb to 10,000.

USAID will provide additional US$2 million disaster relief for Bangladesh.

According to a message received from Washington yesterday, the USAID is sending an additional $2 million in emergency funds to assist relief efforts in Bangladesh.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies will receive $1 million of this new funding for water and sanitation programs and to provide shelter materials to those in need. The remainder of the funding will be directed to humanitarian organisations currently working in the affected area and will assist in meeting the immediate needs of the Bangladeshi people.

This new funding is in addition to the initial $100,000 provided by USAID immediately after the cyclone, bringing the total US government assistance to $2.1 million to date. .

The US extends its deepest sympathies to the government and people of Bangladesh in the face of this major natural disaster and stands ready to further assist in the relief effort based on needs identified in the coming days.

India has decided to respond immediately with a comprehensive relief package of US$ 1 million for cyclone affected people of Bangladesh, Indian Parliament was informed yesterday.

As part of the offer, India will despatch relief material including medicines, food items, milk powder, tents and blankets, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in a statement in both Houses of Parliament.

President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have written to their Bangladeshi counterparts expressing distress over the tragedy and conveying deep condolences over the loss of lives, he said.

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said the House expresses its deep sense of sorrow over the loss of lives and property in the calamity. The House stood in silence for a brief while in memory of those killed.

India is also waiving the export ban on rice to enable Bangladesh to procure 50,000 tons of rice from India.

Japan has announced to provided emergency relief goods worth US$ 390,000 (35 million yen) through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for Bangladesh’s cyclone victims.

'The first consignment of the emergency aid arrives at Zia International Airport at 12:00 noon today from Singapore,’ Japanese Ambassador Masayuki Inoue told reporters after meeting with Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday.

The emergency relief goods include 100 tents (each for 6 people), 1000 blankets (regular), 100 blankets (heavy), 300 sleeping pads, 200

plastic sheets, 10 portable water tanks (2000 liter), 30 water

purifiers, 300 portable water tanks and 30 power generators (220V).

Ambassador Masayuki Inoue and JICA Resident Representative Ms Nobuko Kayashima will handover the emergency relief to high officials of the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management at the airport.

The Chinese government has decided to provide US$ 1 million of emergency assistance for the relief and rehabilitation activities for the cyclone victims of Bangladesh.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Zheng Qingdian informed this when he met with the Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury yesterday.

The Red Cross Society of China will also provide US$ 50,000 to Bangladesh Red Crescent Society.

The Australian government has announced it will provide Tk 180 million (A$3 million) for emergency relief and recovery efforts in communities affected by Cyclone Sidr.

Announcing the decision, the Australian High Commissioner,

Douglas Foskett, advised that, through its international aid agency, AusAID, Australia will contribute A$ 1 million each to Australian NGOs working in Bangladesh for relief assistance. The relief goods include safe water, sanitation facilities and non-food items such as clothes and blankets.

The assistance will also be channeled through the World Food Program (WFP) to meet immediate food needs and support recovery programs and International Federation of the Red Cross to support the Bangladesh Red Crescent Societies’ relief efforts, including basic health care and emergency sanitation.

The Swiss government and charities are sending immediate aid to the survivors of the cyclone in Bangladesh. The aid, valued at 850,000 Swiss francs (about 760,000 US dollars), will go in part to support efforts by the local Red Crescent Society to provide those in need with food packets, drinking water and medicine, according to the reports received from Geneva.

The Government of Switzerland has provided 200,000 Swiss Francs (US$ 160,000) in grants for relief materials for the cyclone-hit people of Bangladesh as an emergency response, a press release said.

The relief materials would be distributed through Bangladesh Red Crescent Society and Swiss Red Cross in five districts.

Swiss offer comes in response to an appeal by the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society for 6 million US dollars for relief and reconstruction efforts in the cyclone-affected districts.

The local Red Crescent Society said the overall death toll from the cyclone could finally reach 10,000 as more bodies from Thursday's storm are being found.

Italy has decided to donate 100,000 Euro to Bangladesh Red Crescent Society responding to an emergency appeal of the International Red Cross, said an embassy release.

Further aid for reconstruction could be available if requested by the

Bangladesh government, it said.

Besides, Italian President Dr Giorgio Napolitano in a message to President Iajuddin Ahmed expressed condolence and deep shock at the calamity that befell Bangladesh. The message was conveyed by Italian Ambassador in Dhaka Pietro Ballero.

In another message, Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D’Alema also

expressed the condolence and solidarity of the Italian government to

the Bangladesh government.

German President Horst Kohler has expressed profound shock at the loss of lives and devastation caused by cyclone Sidr.

In a message to President Dr Iajuddin Ahmed President Kohler said,” I was shocked and grieved to learn of the many lives lost and injuries

caused by the recent hurricane particularly in the south-east of your

country. On behalf also of my compatriots I offer you my deepest

sympathy.”

He also conveyed condolences to all those who have lost loved ones.

Meanwhile, Islami Bank will distribute Tk 30 crore relief among cyclone victims.

The German government offered 731, 345 dollars, while the European Union released 2.2 million dollars in relief aid.

Concern Worldwide, Bangladesh, started relief operations for the cyclone victims in Patuakhali and Barguna district yesterday.

Concern is assisting 26,000 extremely poor families in these two

districts where over 250,000 families have been affected.

The relief package for each family includes rice-30kg, pluse-3kg,

oil-2 liter, salt-1kg, sugar- 1kg, semolina-1kg, ORS-5 sachets, soap-2pcs, blanket-1pcs, shawl-1pc, candle-6pcs, match-1 dozen and utensils-1 set.

Concern will receive more funds of Euro 580,000 from EC and Euro

100,000 from Concern General Donations.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Bangladesh Air Force yesterday started using helicopters to air-drop food to people stranded in inaccessible areas affected by last week's cyclone.

So far WFP has delivered biscuits to more than 650,000 people in the worst hit areas by land, air and boat.

Several international organisations and donors have also extended help to the devastated country.

The Rome-based World Food Program was rushing in food, and the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society was sending thousands of workers to stricken areas.

BSS, Pirojpur

Law and Information Adviser Barrister Mainul Hosein yesterday urged the cyclone-hit people for working together with patience and courage to overcome the losses in the cyclone.

He said the Government is working relentlessly to provide support to the people affected by the devastating cyclone Sidr.

The Adviser said this at different rallies while visiting various cyclone-ravaged areas and distributing relief among the distressed people.

Barrister Mainul distributed relief materials at Kumirmmari Ferryghat, Bhandaria upazila parishad auditorium, Bhitabari Adarsha High School, Tekutia Ferryghat and Bhandaria Sadar Union Parishad premises.

Earlier, the Law Adviser attended as the chief guest a coordination meeting on relief and rehabilitation following the damage caused by the severe cyclone in the district.

Deputy commissioner of the district Md Abdul Kayum chaired the meeting.

Among others, REB Chairman and Pirojpur Chamber President Ali Ahmed, Municipality Chairman Habibur Rahman Malek, district joint forces Deputy Commander Major Ebad, police super and district Muktijoddha Sangsad Commander Goutam Chowdhury also spoke.

Speakers at the meeting demanded supply of safe drinking water and restoration of power supply and telecommunications in the district.

Besides, they demanded low-interest bank loans for the cyclone-stricken people for reconstructing houses.

The Adviser assured them that the Government would take measures in this regard.

The government is supplying water purification tablets and will continue it, he said, adding that initiatives would be taken to restore telecommunications.

The REB Chairman said the cyclone has caused severe damage to the power lines in the district. Steps have been taken to repair the power lines. The power department workers have been working to repair the damaged lines and required machinery has been sent to the district from Dhaka, he added.

Appreciating the Government officials for their relief activities, the Adviser said they are working hard for providing support to the affected people.

He urged all persons in the society to come forward to help the cyclone-hit people.

He said many countries and donor agencies have expressed their interest to assist Bangladesh to overcome the losses caused by the devastating cyclone.

Rafiqul Islam Azad

As many as 30 million Bangladeshis would become climate refugees if the sea-level rises by one metre in this century due to climate change and causes loss of 15 per cent of its landmass, according to a report published by International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).

“Bangladesh is located in a vulnerable geographical region. It has a high population density, weak institutions, low levels of development and poor economic strength. These factors conspire to make Bangladesh very vulnerable to present climate variability and future change in climate,” said the report.

The IIED formally launched the 93-page report on “Up in Smoke? Asia and the Pacific: The threat from climate change to human development and the environment in London on Monday.

The report said the climate changes ahead could be extremely detrimental to economy, to the environment to the national development and to the people of Bangladesh.

Poor and disadvantaged groups in the country are directly affected by climate change, it said.

The report mentioned that rising temperatures and changes in rainfall have already affected crop production in many parts of Bangladesh. Further temperature increases may lower crop production putting stress on national food security, it said.

“According to projections, national food-gain requirements will be 41.6 million tones in the year 2030. To become self-sufficient in food-grain production by 2030, an additional 14.64 million tones is, therefore, required. But the affects of climate change on crop production mean that farmers are unlikely to be able to provide food grain for their fellow citizens,” the report said adding, “Unless appropriate adoption measures are considered now, food-grain self-sufficiency will remain a distant dream for Bangladesh.”

According to report accelerated melting of glaciers in the Himalayas will increase flooding in Bangladesh and at the same time the increase of size of the glaciers will also lead to more drought in the northern regions of the country as river flows will decrease even further.

The report said the costal areas of Bangladesh are vulnerable to climate change in a multitude of ways.

Cyclones, storm surges, drainage congestion, and sea-level rise directly affect coastal regions. Agriculture, industry, infrastructure, livelihoods, marine resources, forestry and bio-diversity, human health and utility services will be affected due to climate change, the report said.

It said most of the country is less than ten metres above sea level with about ten per cent less that one-metre above the mean sea level.

“One-third of the country is vulnerable to high tides. The IPCC expects sea-level rise during the early part of the twenty-first century to be an average of two to three millimeters per year due to global warming, although this varies by areas,” the report said.

It said, Bangladesh is known for the cyclones that cause huge damage and flooding in coastal areas. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the frequency of cyclone formation in the Bay of Bengal has declined since 1971 but the intensity of the synclines is increasing.

The report, however, observed that the government initiatives to build cyclone shelters and establish early warning systems have meant fewer lives have been lost, but more efforts are needed.

The report was co-coordinated by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) and the International Institute for Environment and Development with support and contributions from the Working Group on Climate Change and Development and their partners.

Dr Saleemul Huq, Head of Climate Change at IIED said the reports combine concerns about both the environment and the welfare of people in developing countries.

This year’s focus on Asia is crucial as the region is home to almost two thirds of the world’s people, hundreds of millions of whom face growing risks from rising seas and extreme climatic events such as droughts. The new report highlights the key role Asian nations have to play in global efforts to both mitigate climate change and adapt to its effects, he said.

In the preface of the report, Dr R.K. Pachauri, Chairman of the Nobel prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said that without immediate action, global warming is set to reverse decades of social and economic progress across Asia, home to over 60 per cent of the world’s population.

The report showed how, across Asia, people and communities are already acting to reduce the worst impacts of climate change.

Unless a decisive international agreement is reached, and soon, the lives of those living on the front line of climate change will go up in smoke, the preface said.

Staff Reporter

Nongovernmental organisations have rushed to the cyclone SIDR affected areas immediately after the storm to serve the countrymen.

Many of the NGOs already have started to distribute relief materials among the affected hungry people while some of those are drawing up rehabilitation plans.

Some of them were waiting for response from their parent organisations, as well as the donor agencies.

CARE Bangladesh rushed relief to the cyclone-ravaged areas to help the affected people. In collaboration with partner NGOs -- Prodipon, SAP-Bangladesh, RIC and Coast, CARE delivered emergency food ration, plastic sheetings, candles, and plastic water containers to 5,000 families. It has also provided 15 pumps to remove polluted salt water from the areas where it is likely to cause contamination.

CARE has sent five mobile water purification plants, each capable of producing 10,000 litres of fresh drinking water a day, to Khulna. CARE Bangladesh's new Country Director, Nick Southern, visited the most affected Tafalbaria Union of Rayenda thana and Sadar union of Morelganj upazila of Bagerhat district.

The team distributed relief materials among the cyclone victims in the relief camps set up by CARE partners. They also met local administration officials, media personnel, civil society members and local NGOs with a view to achieving better coordination among relief agencies.

BRAC has already allocated US$1 million for providing relief to the victims and livelihood rehabilitation operations. It is also hopeful of mobilising an additional US$1 million for disaster relief. A fund of Tk 500 per household is being distributed to those whose house were destroyed or damaged.

Muslim Aid Bangladesh Field Office (MABFO) distributed relief materials among 1,800 cyclone-affected families at Morelganj in Bagerhat district and Kolapara in Patuakhali district.

MABFO team distributed rice, pulse, salt, candle and match boxes as aid. Muslim Aid will also begin building shelters to replace houses swept away in the cyclone, set up sanitary latrines and sink tube-wells.

In response to the cyclone victims Association for Social Advancement (ASA) has waived loan of three instalments for its members who have been affected by the devastating SIDR.

Fowzia Alam of ASA said the NGO has already sent nearly Tk 2.16 crore to its district head offices for distribution among its cyclone victim members.

An 11-member director team of ASA is now in cyclone affected Barisal to assess the loss and needs.

Karitas is distributing food relief among 19,850 cyclone victim families in Barisal and Khulna. Karitas official Alauddin said they will also distribute household materials. Karitas already got Tk 7.47 crore commitment from its donors to distribute relief and rehabilitate the cyclone victims.

UNB, Washington

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said the United States is responding in the aftermath of cyclone Sidr to try to meet the immediate needs of the Bangladeshi people, calling into action a multitude of US government disaster relief agencies and departments.

"We extend our deepest sympathies to the people of Bangladesh following this major natural disaster, and we stand ready to assist further," she said in a statement.

Rice said the USAID provided $100,000 immediately after the cyclone and has deployed a five-person disaster assessment team to Bangladesh to assist with the relief and recovery efforts.

This team is working alongside local authorities to conduct field assessments that will identify additional needs and areas where we might be of assistance.

USAID is now sending an additional $2 million in emergency funds for water and sanitation programs and to provide shelter materials to those in need. A portion of this funding will also be provided to humanitarian organizations currently working in the affected areas. At the request of the US Embassy in Bangladesh, US Pacific Command has sent a 23-man Humanitarian Assistance Survey Team of US Marines to the southern coast of Bangladesh to determine how the US military can best provide assistance in the area.

A military medical team already in the country is prepared to provide medical assistance to the injured.

In addition, US Navy ships, USS Essex and USS Kearsarge, have been ordered to move in the direction of Bangladesh so that US military forces can be better positioned in the event that the Bangladesh government requests assistance.

These ships, expected to arrive in 5 to 7 days, each carry 20 or more helicopters that can be used for medical evacuations and surveying affected areas.

The Department of Defense will continue to assess assets, which may be deployed in Bangladesh.

While the United States and other donors will continue to aid in the aftermath of Cyclone Sidr, the effects of the Cyclone were certainly lessened and many lives saved due to the investments the Bangladesh government, working with USAID, has made in disaster preparedness and mitigation.

Staff Reporter

The government had incurred about Tk 23,000 crore loss in the past ten years in the power sector due to corruption by which it could have established power plants capable of producing at least 9,500 MW electricity.

In the fiscal year 2005-06 the government had lost about Tk 10,600 crore for production loss as they have no gas based power plant.

By reducing the technical and distribution loss up to 15 per cent the Government could earn at least Tk 1,853 crore extra and the Government would not have to increase the price of electricity.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) yesterday presented this information in a report at a discussion meeting on 'Problems in Good governance in Power Sector and Remedies' at the National Press Club.

The research report presented by Md Zakir Hossain Khan says the main problems of the power sector of Bangladesh is lack of transparency and accountability in the sector, huge lack of power, corruption in purchasing and distributing network, economic inefficiency, high technical and distribution loss, weakness in service and harassment of the consumers.

TIB recommended forming an independent commission to implement the vision 2025 master plan of the power sector.

It also recommended appointing ombudsman for the power and energy sector and reforms in the courts and laws of the power sector.

TIB Chairman Prof Mozaffar Ahmed said the situation of the power sector was degrading gradually.

He said check and balance is needed in the management in the power sector to ensure people good service and reduce the system loss.

Pointing on Rural Electrification Board Dr Mozaffor said massive injection of capital needed for the REB to gain back its past goodwill.

He said, "Electricity is a necessity it's not a luxury, it's a necessity for production and it should be treated like that.

Dr Mozaffar opioned against recruiting foreign consultant for the power and energy sector. He said, civil society representatives should be given chance to give their opinion in the policy making of the power sector.

The report of the TIB also says that almost two third of the consumers of electricity was not satisfied with the services provided by the institutions of the power sectors.

The government would earn only Tk 426 crore by increasing price of electricity by 5 per cent whereas by reducing system loss up to 15 per cent government would earn extra Tk 1,853 revenue.

Bangladesh is the 174th country in the world according to per capita power consumption. Bangladesh's per capita power consumption is only 140 KW while the average per capita power consumption of the LDCs is 357.8 KW and the most power consuming country in the world consumes 24, 000 KW per capita.

The TIB also recommended the government should start one stop service for the consumers to reduce their hassle in getting service from the institutions of the power sector.

Staff Reporter

Architects, urban planners and experts at a meeting in the city said population increase rate in Dhaka city is 4.34 per cent per year and five lakh people are being added to the population of the city annually.

To accommodate these new people the city needs one lakh dwelling units every year. Due to various constraints supply is far behind the demand, they said.

Dhaka city needs 25 lakh dwelling units, but there are 2.25 lakh residential buildings where 20 to 30 lakh people are accommodated. Dhaka city has very inadequate road networks, which are only 8 to 10 per cent of the total city area, whereas the acceptable ratio is about 25 per cent, they added.

In Bangladesh, at the time of property handover registration cost is higher than any other country of the world, they said.

They recommended that to mitigate the housing problem we have to solve its associated problems like land, construction materials, finance and technology, as they are associated with housing. So availability of aforementioned materials has to be assured at low price in order to ease up housing problems.

The price of per bag cement has increased three times in last 20 years, they said.

Accountability of all concerned personnel has been fixed in the new Dhaka Metropolitan Building Construction Rules as such all concerned people will be more accountable for their respective responsibilities. Special arrangement has been made in the new rule to widen the narrow roads to at least 20-feet. As a result, old Dhaka will be more accessible and liveable in due course. But for last five or six months no significant number of building plans has been approved. This will create housing crisis in coming years, they added.

The view exchange meeting on 'Potential of Housing Industry and Its Future' was held at a city hotel yesterday organised by Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB).

Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, Vice Chancellor of BRAC University, addressed the meeting as chief guest, while KAM Haroon, Chairman of RAJUK, Md Abdul Qayyum, Chairman of National Housing Authority, Dr Hasib Md Ahsan, Professor of Dept of Civil Engineering and Ishrat Islam, Asstt Professor of Dept of Urban and Regional Planning of BUET, Mukarram Hussain Khan, President of REHAB, Kazi Anisuddin Iqbal, Editor of Sthapattya O Nirman, among others, spoke. Dr Toufiq M Seraj, President of Bangladesh Institute of Planners, presented key-note paper.

Speakers said available housing loan in Bangladesh has high interest rate, which is 14 to 16 per cent. But in developed countries interest rate of housing loan is three to six per cent. Even this rate is 8 to 10 per cent in our neighbouring countries.

"Bangladesh Bank has initiated to provide housing loan at 10 per cent interest rate. But the fund is very limited. So only a few families will get the facility. One cannot avail loan of more than Tk 15 lakh, which is not enough to buy an apartment at the present market rate," key-note paper said.

To meet the increasing housing requirement, private real estate companies emerged and the number of real estate companies was increasing gradually. At present, more than 450 companies are active in business. At present there are 336 members of REHAB, speakers said.

In Bangladesh, during registration we have to pay five per cent gain tax and stamp duty, 2.5 per cent registration fee, two per cent city corporation charge and sub-registry office expenditure 0.5 per cent. The collective registration cost is 15 per cent of the registration value. During building or apartment registration the developer pays Tk 250 per square metre as an advance income tax. It is to pay 1.5 per cent VAT on apartment price which also increases apartment price in this high priced market, the paper said.