Mahir Ali Khan Ratul

Rupayan Group aims to enhance Bangladesh's brand in the global real estate sector through Rupayan City Uttara, a premium mega gated community with a wide range of lifestyle solutions.

The leading real estate company wants to show the world that high-end and secure residential systems can be built in the country, making it a prime location for investment, according to Mahir Ali Khan Ratul, vice chairman of Rupayan Group.

Dwellers will have the opportunity to live in peace and harmony at Rupayan City Uttara, which is currently the only premium mega gated community available in Bangladesh, he said.

Ratul made these comments during an interview with The Daily Star at the site last week.

A gated community is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly-controlled entrances for pedestrians and automobiles, and often characterised by a closed perimeter of walls and fences. Gated communities usually consist of small residential streets and include various shared amenities.

"It is possible to build up a city inside the city. We are materialising it here. It will be a role model gated community in Bangladesh," he noted.

The project is being established on 135 bighas (roughly 81 acres) of land, 63 per cent of which will be allotted for open space.

Works began at the project in 2014 and Ratul expects to complete handing over the apartments available by 2023.

As a pioneering real-estate company, Rupayan Group has a good reputation in Bangladesh with vast experience in the sector.

"We investigated how to provide the people an environment where the next generation can grow both mentally and socially amid a green and natural atmosphere with modern facilities," Ratul said.

"With this view, we have decided to implement this flagship project."

Rupayan City Uttara, which is named by the group as Rupayan Maxus, has huge potential in Bangladesh, he said.

There are many companies in the country which can build big cities like Rupayan Maxus, but none has done it yet, he said.

Rupayan City Uttara is currently the only premium mega gated community available in Bangladesh, he said.

Once complete, it will have 1,200 apartments of various categories on offer.

Apartment sizes will range between 1,800 square feet to 8,000 square feet with prices hovering between Tk 2.2 crore and Tk 16 crore.

Around 60 per cent of the apartments have already been sold and the owners will receive their keys sometime this year, Ratul said.

The remaining apartments can be availed with 30 per cent down payment and the rest can be paid through home loans from reputed lenders and non-banking financial institutions.

"We have a number of memorandum of understanding with banks and home loan providers so the clients do not need to worry about financing," he said.

Besides, even the banks feel secure about investing in this project, Ratul added.

Regarding the facilities available at Rupayan City Uttara, the vice chairman said it would be a world of its own where people would feel secure and comfortable amid like-minded people.

"As a human being, we need a city amidst a blanket of greens and trees as if you breathe deeper, you live better," he said.

Attached with a community club featuring leisure activities, relaxation will become an everyday habit.

Besides, the soon to be founded metro connectivity will ensure shorter travels, allowing more time for yourself and your loved ones.

"So at Rupayan City Uttara, we have endeavoured to build a life like never before in Dhaka," Ratul added.

The country's first premium mega-gated community will also have world-class premium condos, community club, mosque, playground, school, a 6.5-kilometre-long jogging track and separate peripheral roads for car movement.

Meanwhile, the Sky Villas are conceptualised as individual bungalows on elevated levels, promoting a sense of celebration in the sky.

Each bungalow unit is of extravagant design and is accessible from an elevated street through a double height personal entry lobby with pergola above and greenery alongside.

The focal point of each unit is the living and dining space opening into a deck over lavish private green stretching the entire length and the kitchen opening into a kitchen garden.

The private zone on the upper floor is centred around a family lounge surrounded by bedrooms and the master bedroom suite with attached toilets and tea deck, in premium units.

Distinct vehicular and non-vehicular areas define the pedestrian zone, playground, tot-lots and senior citizen park.

The composition of solid and voids in the elevation punctured by large expanse of windows create a simple, smart and yet beautiful contemporary look with an international appeal.

It is an introvert design consisting of so many interesting multiple high atriums as the breathing space complimented with a huge circular amphitheatre at the centre of this mixed use commercial complex, including shopping, business, retail, offices, four-star hotel and amusement park.

The vice chairman says the metro rail and Dhaka Elevated Expressway will make Maxus the next business hub, making it more convenient to start a new business as well as more comfortable for the visitors.

Investment in Rupayan City Uttara is highly secured for the assurance of big returns because of its potential capital appreciation and rental returns.

As a result, this investment-grade property has already created high demand among investors, which was a first for Bangladesh.

"We are providing investment offers so that investors get the best value for their investment," Ratul said.

People can invest individually or in a group for an office, day-care centre, restaurant, apartment, sky villas, stores, showrooms, Cineplex, food-court, service apartment or luxurious hotel, he added.