Base FAR to be reviewed every three years

Although Floor Area Ratio (FAR) has been the most controversial issue of the newly declared Detailed Area Plan (DAP), FAR can be changed as it is subject to review every three years, the authorities concerned said.

Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) formulated DAP scheduled to be completed by 2035. FAR is an index of determining the size and height of a building.

In Dhaka City Rajuk has given FAR ranging from 1.4 to 5.7. The highest FAR of 5.7 was given to Gulshan Banani while areas from at least four wards in the capital have base FAR of 1.4.

Rajuk said depending on citizenship facilities – roads, health care facilities, educational institute, transportation system and preparedness for tackling disasters in the community area - they have determined FAR.

That’s the reason Dhanmondi got FAR of 5.1 to 5.4 while its neighbouring Sukrabad got only 1.8.

Meanwhile, the information about relaxing of building height limits in influential areas like Bashundhara, Jalshiri, Jhilmil and Gulshan residential areas has created new controversy.

Following the uneven and drastic changes in the FAR for different areas on 26 September the Institute of Architects Bangladesh at a programme alleged that under the pressure of influential groups the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) had given a special concession on the height limit of buildings.

The maximum floor area ratio standard of 5 to 6 has been given in just 1 percent area of Dhaka city. It means buildings can be constructed with double the number of floors of the FAR standard, Iqbal Habib said.

Out of 346 blocks of Dhaka city, 5-6 FAR standard has been given for just five blocks, 4-5 for 10 blocks, 3-4 for 19 blocks and 1-3 for all the rest, he said.

On a piece of land where an eight-storey building was constructed as per the Dhaka Building Construction Rules - 2008 now a four to six-storey building can be built there under DAP.

Rajuk officials willing to be unnamed said it was Dhaka Building Construction Rules - 2008 that had caused severe damage to the country. It gave general FAR to all and its impact on the capital would take 100 years to recover.

The Project Director of DAP and Town Planner of Rajuk Ahsraful Islam told the Business Post that if any area ensured inclusion of certain parameters like playground, parks, health care facilities, wide roads and other citizenship facilities base FAR of any area can go up during the FAR review meeting to be held every three years.

Besides that, there are several incentives FAR offered through the plan to encourage people to build a definite measurement of flat that would be under capacity of middle class people to buy, he added.

According to him, they have kept two types of FAR for the city people. One is Base FAR and the other one is Road FAR. While constructing a building Base FAR could be increased if the construction meets certain criteria.

He said most deviation during constructing a building could be found on a small piece of land. So, block housing system has been incorporated. In a block housing taking two or more houses in the consideration, the plan would get 0.5 added FAR.

Again if the block housing has some flats of around 600sf affordable for middle class people to purchase it would get another added FAR of .75. So the Base FAR would never be constant, he said.

The town planner of Rajuk said if any community got a metro rail station in its area the whole Base FAR would go up to 0.25. It can be more if any new school, new roads and other citizenship facilities could be added.

There is no scope of controversy over FAR as it is not rigid with its number. Rather with a mentality to ensure more open and green space people of a community can get incentives. FAR is a unique inclusion in any urban plan, he claimed.

President of Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) Mohammad Fazle Reza said the FAR included in Dhaka Building Construction Rules 2008 was unprecedented. So, all professionals concerned formulated a draft FAR correcting it in 2013-14.

In the draft they kept the FAR from 1.8 to 4 for the capital. So, the FAR given in DAP is acceptable. “In our DAP we have given utmost priority to citizenship facilities, residents for poor or middle class people and centralization of residents for the city people.

In 400 years of Dhaka city we have had an unplanned city that need to be restructured through specific plan. It cannot be done in one day but gradual development can get it done.

“Now we have to decide whether we would tread the wrong path like before or opt for a sustainable path,” he asked.