The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

A Five-day long fair of Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) begins at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre tomorrow.

A total of 187 real estate companies and five financial organisations will participate in the fair.

Housing and Public Works Adviser Maj Gen Ghulam Qadir will be present in the inaugural function as chief guest while Housing and Public Works Ministry Secretary ASM Rasidul Hye will be present as special guest.

Law and Religious Affairs Adviser AF Hasan Arif will attend the concluding ceremony of the fair as chief guest.

The fair will remain open from 10:00am to 8:00pm.

The REHAB leaders at a press conference yesterday at National Press Club said that the REHAB will also celebrate the REHAB week from today.

As part of the programme, the organisation will bring out a rally from Central Shaheed Minar today. It will end at Shishu Academy.

REHAB will also hold a seminar at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre at 7 pm today.

The programmes of REHAB will also be highlighted by extempore speech of the college students on November 12, gold medal distribution programme on November 13, Children's' art competition on November 14, blood donation and posthumous eye donation on November 15 and concluding ceremony of REHAB on November 16.

Replying to a question, REHAB President Eng Tanveerul Haque Probal said that they are not thinking about reduction in the flat price.

Though the prices of MS rod declined in the international market, the prices of cement and other construction materials are yet to come down, he noted.

"High price of land, lack of coordination among the service providing agencies in real estate sector, high prices of raw materials in construction sector, high bank lending rate and bureaucratic complexities to approve the building design are the main hindrance in the real estate sector," Shahidul Islam, Convenor of the REHAB Fair Committee said.

He further said that the REHAB members will be able to reduce the flat price if the government reduces registration rate for the flats.

Khaled Mohammed Jewel, General Secretary of REHAB, Akter Biswas, Organising Secretary of REHAB, Morad Iqbal Chowdhury, Chairman of REHAB Fair Standing Committee and Robiul Hoq were present at the press conference.