The government is moving ahead with plans to relocate Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University to Salna in Gazipur to make way for a Tk4,000 crore new Secretariat complex in Agargaon, reviving a proposal first conceived in 1965.

The government has already allocated land at Salna for Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University. However, the university authorities have yet to take steps to move the campus.

The public works ministry has started preparing a project proposal for the new Secretariat on the old trade fair grounds in Agargaon, with construction completion target by June 2029.

Infographic: TBS

The Cabinet has given in-principle approval to the plan and discussed laying the foundation stone at the site on 16 December, although the project proposal has yet to be finalised.

Public works officials said an initial estimate put the project cost at around Tk4,200 crore. However, the housing and public works minister has directed officials to keep the expenditure within Tk4,000 crore, prompting work on a revised proposal.

The relocation would also trigger changes in the use of government buildings in the capital.

Infographic: TBS

The Dhaka judge court would be moved from Sadarghat to the existing Secretariat on Abdul Gani Road, while several tax zones and directorates could also be accommodated there.

The government is pursuing the relocation alongside an initiative to secure Unesco World Heritage status for the National Parliament House, designed by architect Louis I Kahn.

However, urban planners have questioned the choice of Agargaon, citing growing congestion, the loss of a major open space and the area’s limited road network. They have suggested Purbachal New Town as an alternative location.

University relocation

In a report, the Department of Architecture said students recently occupied part of the land with signboards and ropes, seeking to use it as their rice research field without permission.

The department said the action was unauthorised. It also argued that the existing land is inadequate for a specialised institution such as an agricultural university.

Relocating the university to Salna would allow the government to develop administrative and civic facilities in line with the original master plan prepared by Louis I Kahn, the report said.

It recommended preserving the land earmarked for the Secretariat, warning that retaining the university there could undermine security and disrupt planned land use.

14 buildings planned on 31.58 acres

The proposed Secretariat complex will occupy around 31.58 acres of the old trade fair ground and provide 3.316 million square feet of floor space.

According to the architectural design finalised by the public works ministry, the complex will comprise 14 buildings, each with 12 floors, supported by three basement levels.

The basements will accommodate parking for 3,800 vehicles, while another 200 parking spaces will be available above ground.

The complex will also include a mosque, two multipurpose halls, a cafeteria and a post office. Around 30% of the site will be allocated for greenery and water bodies.

At its 18 October meeting, the Cabinet gave in-principle approval to the relocation proposal after reviewing three conceptual designs prepared by the Department of Architecture.

The designs were presented to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on 7 October. The prime minister selected one design, with observations, for further development.

The Cabinet also recommended incorporating facilities such as cafeterias of different standards, a health club, a daycare centre and comprehensive emergency medical services.

To address the anticipated traffic pressure, the Cabinet called for widening connecting roads and considering underpasses around the complex.

It also suggested linking the adjacent Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre to the Secretariat through an underpass or another convenient connection.

The design should also ensure that the parliament remains visible from conference rooms and other important locations, according to the Cabinet’s observations.

Decision follows shelving of 21-storey building plan

The current Secretariat occupies 17.57 acres and has 13 buildings. Buildings 1, 2, 3 and 8 date back to 1937-39, while Building 5 was constructed in 1947. 

These older structures were not designed to withstand earthquakes, according to the public works ministry. Three additional 20-storey buildings have been constructed since 1980.

The ministry said the existing Secretariat provides 1.876 million square feet of office space, while different ministries have an additional demand for approximately 1 million square feet.

The relocation plan gained momentum after the government dropped a separate proposal to build a 21-storey tower at the existing Secretariat.

The ministry placed a Tk649 crore project proposal before the Ecnec meeting on 26 April, chaired by the PM, seeking to demolish Building 1 and construct the new tower.

However, the proposal was shelved after the meeting revisited the long-standing plan to shift the entire Secretariat to Agargaon.

The meeting directed the ministry to prepare a comprehensive proposal detailing the land requirement, number of buildings, cost and implementation timeline. 

Plan dating back to 1965

The idea of relocating the Secretariat to Agargaon dates back to 1965, when construction of the National Parliament House began under the then Ayub Khan government.

The old trade fair grounds were then earmarked for a new East Pakistan Secretariat. However, the Liberation War and subsequent developments stalled the plan. Although the parliament House was completed in 1982, the Secretariat was never moved.

During the Awami League government, the relocation plan resurfaced, and the trade fair was shifted to Purbachal. However, the government did not take any steps.

During the interim government, the public works ministry initiated an Tk82 crore project to develop a public park on the old trade fair grounds.

The latest relocation initiative has effectively shifted the government’s focus from developing the site as a public park to building a new administrative complex.

Experts question site choice

Adil Mohammed Khan, an urban planner and executive director of the Institute for Planning and Development (IPD), told The Business Standard that the existing Secretariat has metro rail connectivity and remains accessible to ordinary citizens.

“Agargaon, by contrast, is already congested, while the proposed site is an important open space in a city facing a severe shortage of such areas,” he added.

Large-scale construction there would carry significant environmental and planning costs, while taking away space needed to maintain the city’s balance, he said.

“If the government intends to relocate the Secretariat as part of a genuine decentralisation strategy, Purbachal would be the more logical choice,” he added.

Former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Mojumder told TBS that before acquiring more land or constructing new government buildings, the authorities should examine whether existing public infrastructure is being used efficiently.

“Several ministries already operate outside the Secretariat. There may be scope to accommodate some of them in existing government facilities,” he said.