In the affluent diplomatic zone of Gulshan-2, where unbuilt urban greenery is exceptionally scarce, a 114-katha parcel of prime land belonging to Dhaka WASA has become the centre of an intense political and regulatory storm. Situated along Road 55 against the banks of Gulshan Lake, the tranquil, tree-lined property is estimated by real estate analysts to be worth roughly 1,140 crore taka. However, a controversial joint-venture commercial proposal to erect a luxury residential high-rise on the site has triggered widespread condemnation from urban planners and internal dissent within the utility authority itself.

Private Developer Pitch and Political Connections

The proposal was put forward by Assure Development and Design, a private real estate firm whose Chairman, Md Sheikh Sadi, serves as the joint convener of the Kushtia District BNP and previously sought parliamentary nomination for the Kushtia-4 seat. Under the developer’s blueprint, the company would construct a 19-storey “icon category” tower housing around 150 lavish apartments, each spanning over 4,700 square feet.

Assure Development proposed to absorb the estimated 400 crore taka construction cost in exchange for a 49 percent ownership stake in the completed complex, leaving Dhaka WASA with the remaining 51 percent. Given that high-end residential space in Gulshan currently commands upwards of 25,000 taka per square foot, property experts project the total market value of the finished skyscraper at nearly 1,763 crore taka.

Bureaucratic Friction and Contractual Rules

The sudden progress of the unsolicited offer—moving from ministry channels to the formation of a three-member review panel by WASA on 16 July—has raised serious questions regarding transparency and political influence.

• State Land Grant: The plot was originally allocated by the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkhya (RAJUK) under a 99-year lease signed in 2009 for a symbolic fee of 28,844 taka, backdated to commence from 1964.

• Lease Restrictions: Strict covenants within the lease prohibit altering the land’s designated purpose or transferring ownership rights without express written permission from RAJUK.

• Current Operational Use: Enclosed by a high perimeter wall, the verdant site houses administrative facilities, an MD’s guest house, paved walkways, and staff quarters currently occupied by four WASA officials.

• Internal Blockade: During a recent meeting of WASA’s Performance Support Committee, fierce objections from several members—including representatives from the Finance Division—prevented the proposal from gaining approval.

Governance Concerns and Planning Objections

Urban development experts have expressed grave alarm over the prospective destruction of one of the city’s few remaining natural spaces. Professor Adil Mohammad Khan of Jahangirnagar University warned that public assets should never be converted into commercial profit-making ventures for private entities, urging a comprehensive and transparent inquiry into the motives behind the proposal.

Concerns have also been raised over what the utility would actually do with its prospective share of 77 luxury units. With individual flat dimensions exceeding 4,700 square feet—far larger than the 3,500-square-foot government quarters provided to senior state secretaries in Iskaton—WASA employees would not even qualify to live in them under civil service housing rules.

Responding to public criticism, Dhaka WASA Managing Director Md Aminul Islam stated that the evaluation remains at a preliminary stage and pledged that no steps would be taken under external pressure. Meanwhile, RAJUK Chairman Md Riazul Islam confirmed that his agency has received no official request regarding a change in land use, reaffirming that WASA must strictly abide by the original lease terms governing state property.