Real estate developers are concerned about the increasing cost of building materials as well as the proposed Detailed Area Plan (DAP), which will guide future constructions in Dhaka city, according to the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB).

"I fear the price of flats will go up in the future if the cost of construction materials, especially rod and cement, continues to rise and the proposed DAP is implemented," said Alamgir Shamsul Al-Amin, president of REHAB.

As such, a basic human need such as housing could go beyond the reach of middle-class people if these issues are not addressed.

Al-Amin made these comments while discussing the upcoming REHAB Fair during a press conference at Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka yesterday.

"So, this year's fair could be a golden opportunity for buyers as various companies will be offering relatively special prices for flats from previously initiated projects," he said.

Besides, if the housing sector moves forward, so too will backward linkage industries such as cement, paint, steel and ceramics, Al-Amin added.

In light of the new DAP being prepared by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha for the 2017-35 period, the Dhaka Building Construction Rules 2021 are also being framed.

If these rules are finalised, the size of buildings approved for construction will shrink by at least 33 per cent to 53 per cent compared to current standards while the price of flats will increase 50 per cent.

Opposing the proposed guidelines, REHAB wrote a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina detailing these issues in the first week of December.

The REHAB Fair 2021, a five-day event where members of the REHAB will showcase their housing solutions, is set to begin on December 23 after a two-year hiatus.

The fair, to be held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center in Agargaon, will feature 220 stalls with building material suppliers and financial institutions also taking part.

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi is scheduled to participate in the inaugural ceremony as chief guest.

Like every year, visitors who attend the fair will have the chance to win attractive prizes from a raffle draw with their entry tickets. REHAB first started hosting the fair back in 2001 and has since handed over more than 2.25 lakh apartments from the annual event.

With a current membership of 1,191 companies, REHAB is the only trade organisation of real estate developers in the country.