Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan spoke a discussion held at the Bangladesh China International Conference Center in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka. Photo : PID

DHAKA, Oct 6, 2025 (BSS) - Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources, today underscored the urgent need for constructing disaster-resilient, environmentally sustainable, and decentralized housing across the country. 

"Habitat is not a luxury; it must be recognized as a fundamental human right," she said while addressing a discussion titled "Urban Crisis Response" held at the Bangladesh China International Conference Center in the capital's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, marking World Habitat Day 2025.

She emphasized that adequate modern housing should be developed not only in urban areas but also in rural regions under state management. 

Housing, she noted, should not mean just a shelter but must include access to essential infrastructure such as electricity, water, gas, and transport.

Highlighting the looming threat of climate change, the Environment Adviser warned that nearly one-third of Bangladesh's land is at risk of being submerged by rising seas.
 
Without farsighted planning, the resettlement of millions of displaced people would pose an immense challenge, she added.
 
She called for ensuring affordable housing for the poor and climate-vulnerable communities through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). 

She also urged stakeholders to submit project proposals to the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund for climate-resilient housing model projects.

Rizwana Hasan further cautioned that unregulated urbanization driven by free-market interests is deepening inequality. 

"While the wealthy own multiple apartments, many middle-class citizens cannot afford even one. Housing should therefore be treated as both a constitutional obligation of the state and a fundamental human right," she said.

Adilur Rahman Khan, Adviser to the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and the Ministry of Industries, noted that coastal cities are facing severe climate impacts, including worsening water-logging and salinity, which threaten livelihoods, agriculture, and infrastructure. 
 
He stressed that planned, livable cities are a key solution.

"To build sustainable urban centers, we must ensure efficient land use, mass transit, sustainable infrastructure, affordable quality housing for low-income groups, and greater use of modern technology and digital solutions in urban services," he said.

He said that planned urbanization is not just about infrastructure but also about improving people's quality of life.

The discussion was chaired by Md Nazrul Islam, Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.
 
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Sonali Dayaratne also addressed the event, alongside senior officials including Md Abdul Matin, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works; Engineer Md Riazul Islam, Chairman of RAJUK; Ferdousi Begum, Chairman of the National Housing Authority; Md Shamim Akhtar, Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department; and Md Asifur Rahman Bhuiyan, Chief Architect of the Department of Architecture, among others.

At the event, dignitaries unveiled the commemorative publication of World Habitat Day 2025 and later visited various stalls at the three-day Housing Fair. 

Earlier in the morning, a colorful rally was brought out in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar here to mark the occasion.