The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) on Sunday sought cooperation and direct help from the government to remove the existing problems in the housing sector.

"The activities of the developers are being hindered due to high ambition of the land owners, non-cooperation between the utility service providers, price spiral of construction materials and, above all, delay in approving the designs", REHAB President Tanveerul Haque Probal told at a press conference at Jatiya Press Club here.

The association organised the press conference on the eve of their housing fairs in New York from October 18-20 and Florida from October 24-26 to woo the expatriate Bangladeshis living in the United States for buying apartments and plots in their homeland.

We have been organising fairs in New York since 2004 with positive responses. Now we are going to organise fair in Florida for the first time to explore markets, Murad Iqbal Chowdhury, chairman of REHAB fair standing committee, said while explaining different aspects of the fair.

REHAB general secretary Khaled Mohammad Jewel Mollah and convener of REHAB Housing Fair, Florida, Sabbir Hossain Khan were present.

Replying to a query whether the prices of flats would be reduced as material costs lowered, Probal said " We have no plan to reduce the price of flats as material costs are still high".

We are taking action against our member companies if any allegation of misdeeds comes to us, he said.

The REHAB is expecting a better response from the expatriate Bangladeshis in the US this year as new banking law of that country would discourage them to deposit money in the banks.

A total of 57 leading housing companies are going to participate in the New York Fair to be held in Hilton Hotel, New York, and 30 companies will participate in the Florida Fair to be held in Miami Convention Center.

Bangladeshi Consul General in the US Shamsul Haque will inaugurate the New York fair while former Bangladeshi football player Abdul Gaffar, now residing in Miami, will open the Florida fair.

The fairs will remain open for the visitors from 11 am to 10 pm every day.