The Cabinet has approved in principle a proposal to relocate the Bangladesh Secretariat from its existing site to Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka, where 14 new 12-storey buildings will be constructed on 31.58 acres of land at the former international trade fair grounds.
The proposed complex will have approximately 3.316 million square feet of space, nearly 77% more than the existing Secretariat, and parking facilities for 3,800 vehicles.
The decision is part of a broader plan to replace ageing government infrastructure, address severe office space shortages and reduce earthquake risks.
The Ministry of Housing and Public Works placed the proposal before the Cabinet.
The existing Secretariat occupies 17.57 acres and houses 13 buildings, eight of which were constructed before Bangladesh’s independence.
Buildings 1, 2, 3 and 8 were built between 1937 and 1939, while Building 5 dates back to 1947.
None of these older structures was designed to withstand earthquakes, raising concerns about the safety of government offices operating in one of the country’s most earthquake-prone cities.
Space is another problem.
The existing Secretariat has approximately 1.876 million square feet of office space. More than 1 million additional square feet is needed to accommodate expanding ministries and divisions, including those operating outside the Secretariat compound.
Officials also face overcrowding and inadequate sanitation facilities.
According to the Cabinet briefing, the buildings lack sufficient washrooms, while the number of employees using the facilities exceeds their intended capacity.
This has made it increasingly difficult to maintain a healthy working environment.
The proposed Secretariat will be developed in accordance with the master plan prepared by renowned American architect Louis I. Kahn for the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar administrative complex.
Following an earlier decision by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), the Department of Architecture prepared the conceptual design for the project.
The plan provides for 14 buildings, each rising 12 storeys, with three basement levels.
The complex will also house a mosque, two multipurpose halls with a capacity of 350 people each, a cafeteria, a post office and other supporting facilities.
Around 30% of the project area will be reserved for greenery and water bodies.
The new site, measuring 31.58 acres, will be approximately 80% larger than the current Secretariat compound.
The proposed 3.316 million square feet of space will also exceed the current Secretariat’s existing office space by approximately 1.44 million square feet, although the proposed figure covers the complex’s total space rather than office space alone.
The Cabinet’s approval is in principle, meaning the proposal has received policy clearance but further implementation procedures remain.
In three other decisions, the Cabinet approved a change to the name of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, cleared a special ordinance for rooftop solar power installations and endorsed Bangladesh’s accession to an international convention governing hazardous chemicals.
The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs will have its Bengali name changed from Mahila O Shishu Bishoyok Montronaloy to Nari O Shishu Bishoyok Montronaloy.
Both Mahila and Nari mean women, but the decision formally replaces the former term with the latter.
The Cabinet also granted final approval to the draft Special Solar Power Installation Ordinance, 2026, subject to vetting by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division.
The ordinance is intended to accelerate rooftop solar power installations as Bangladesh seeks to reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels and contain mounting electricity subsidies.
The Power Division has already prepared the National Renewable Energy Development Strategy 2026–2030, focusing on energy security, lower subsidy requirements and sustainable development.
The government aims to install between 3,000 and 4,000 megawatts of rooftop solar power capacity before next summer.
Government, semi-government, autonomous and local government institutions, along with state-owned companies, have been instructed to install rooftop solar systems through investor financing under the Operational Expenditure (OPEX) model.
Institutions with independent revenue streams will also be allowed to adopt the Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) model, taking their future earnings into account.
However, the existing regulatory framework lacks specific provisions governing these arrangements.
Under the OPEX model, there are no clear rules for determining electricity prices under long-term agreements of 15 years, allocating electricity shares as rooftop rental payments or assigning maintenance responsibilities.
The government also identified regulatory gaps in the Public Procurement Act, 2006, Invest Bangladesh Act, 2026, and Electricity Act, 2018, concerning rooftop solar installations and related services under the CAPEX model.
The new ordinance is intended to address these gaps and provide a legal framework for the government’s solar expansion programme.
The Convention, adopted on September 10, 1998, and effective since February 24, 2004, establishes international procedures for managing trade in certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides.
According to the Cabinet briefing, 167 countries have joined the Convention.
Among SAARC members, Bangladesh and Bhutan are the only two countries yet to ratify or accede to it.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change proposed accession to strengthen Bangladesh’s capacity to regulate hazardous chemicals and improve international cooperation.
Membership is expected to help Bangladesh attract foreign financing for chemical management projects, establish a hazardous chemicals database and develop tracking systems.
It will also allow Bangladesh to make advance import decisions concerning chemicals listed under Annex III of the Convention.
The treaty establishes shared responsibilities between importing and exporting countries.
It will also be able to build institutional networks with member countries and the Convention Secretariat.