He made the remarks while addressing the Smart City Conclave 2026, organized by Bonik Barta at Hotel Sheraton in Banani, Dhaka, on Wednesday (October 7).

The minister said six new development authorities have been established over the past seven months in Mymensingh, Sylhet, Cumilla, Narayanganj, Rangpur and Barishal, following the model of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK). The process of establishing another development authority in Bogura is also underway.

“Where there is no development authority, city corporations are responsible for approving and implementing building plans. This does not ensure an adequate system of checks and balances,” he said.

He added that the government has taken an initiative to bring all relevant agencies under an integrated legal framework to ensure better coordination and accountability in urban development.

Regarding the protection of water bodies in Gulshan, Banani and Hatirjheel, Zakaria Taher said many buildings in these areas were constructed without septic tanks and soak wells as required by their approved plans.

“As a result, problems are emerging in sewerage management,” he said, adding that several meetings have already been held with the Gulshan, Banani and Baridhara societies to address the issue.

The minister also outlined proposed changes to the building approval process. He said approval would no longer focus solely on architectural plans. Instead, architectural, structural, electrical and other relevant plans would be reviewed and approved in an integrated manner.

An initiative has also been taken to introduce a certification system for obtaining an Occupancy Certificate. Under the proposed system, the professionals responsible for preparing the relevant designs would certify whether the building had been constructed properly in accordance with the approved plans.

Zakaria Taher further said that, for the first time, the Urban Development Directorate has undertaken a planning initiative covering a period of nearly 10 years.

“Initially, master plans will be prepared for metropolitan cities. Subsequently, the initiative will be expanded from major cities to the upazila level,” he said.

Policymakers, urban planners, engineers, experts and entrepreneurs from the housing, construction, energy and urban planning sectors attended various sessions of the event.