Published: 12:32 AM, 23 April 2026
REHAB's new leadership pledges affordable housing
The newly elected leadership of the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) formally assumed office on Wednesday, pledging to develop affordable housing for middle- and lower-middle-income families while protecting the country's shrinking agricultural land from unplanned urbanisation.
The commitments came at the organisation's first board meeting held at its Dhaka office, where outgoing President Md Wahiduzzaman and Senior Vice President Liakat Ali Bhuiyan handed charge to the new committee.
Ali Afzal takes over as REHAB President and Abdur Razzaque as Senior Vice President. They will lead the committee for the next two years.
The new leadership announced plans to construct small-sized apartments in and around Dhaka priced at around Tk 4.5 million, a move they said will open up homeownership to segments of the population long priced out of the market.
On the question of farmland, the leaders struck a cautionary note, warning that unplanned urban expansion is rapidly eroding the country's agricultural base and poses a serious threat to food security. The committee said future development plans would prioritise sustainable, planned urbanisation that does not encroach on cultivable land.
To bring down construction costs, the committee said it will pursue high-rise development, adoption of modern construction technologies, and stronger policy support from the government.
The leadership also committed to resolving longstanding sector-wide bottlenecks, including high property registration costs, limited access to bank financing, and cumbersome project approval processes, through coordinated engagement with relevant public and private bodies.
The new seven office-bearers and 22 directors were elected by direct member votes on April 18. The election board announced the final results on Tuesday night following the completion of the appeal process.
Vice Presidents elected to the board include Mohammad Akhter Biswas, Abu Khalid Md Barkatullah, AFM Ubaidullah, Harun-or-Rashid (Finance), and Mohammad Morshedul Hasan (Chattogram Region).
