Fahamida Sharmin has lived in Dhaka for nearly 17 years. After years of saving, the private-sector employee now hopes to buy a home of her own.
Her preferred area is Pallabi in Mirpur and its surroundings, and she came to the capital’s housing fair looking for an apartment there.
A project by Intech Properties Limited has already caught her attention. But before making a decision, she wants to visit other stalls and compare location, price and payment terms.
“We are middle-class people. After saving for many years, we are thinking of buying a flat. We often hear that people pay money for flats and end up being cheated. That is why we came here to look carefully before buying,” Fahamida said.
That mix of aspiration and caution is visible across the fair.
Organised by the Ministry of Housing and Public Works to mark World Habitat Day, the three-day event began on Monday (5 October) at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre and will continue until 7 October.
The fair has 157 stalls featuring housing, construction and banking services, along with government agencies including Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha, or Rajuk.
Visitors can compare projects by location, size, price and handover schedule, while also checking booking terms, down payments and instalment plans.
New Vision Apartments Deputy Manager Imran Sheikh said the company is selling both plots and apartments, with most projects ready for sale.
Its three plot projects are New Vision Eco Village, New Vision Kingdom and New Vision Island. Land prices range from about Tk8 lakh to Tk25 lakh per katha depending on location, with buyers required to purchase at least three kathas.
The company also offers flats of 1,100 to 2,250 square feet, priced at around Tk1.10 crore to Tk3.50 crore depending on project and location.
Buyers can pay through down payments and instalments, generally over about a year, although schedules vary by project.
Imran said some buyers purchase plots as an investment, while others want to build homes on their own land, sustaining demand for plots alongside apartments.
Asset Developments Assistant General Manager Mohammad Yasin Bin said the company is displaying three-bedroom flats of 1,500 to 1,700 square feet, priced at around Tk3 crore.
A Sheltech assistant manager said the company offers residential and commercial projects, a premium “Sapphire Series” and land projects.
Its flats start at around Tk1.40 crore, with prices varying by size and location. Buyers can choose ready flats or projects with different handover schedules.
Depending on the project, the company offers 30 to 40 per cent down payments and instalments over two to five years. Buyers can also use bank home loans.
Real Capita Assistant Manager Diba said the company has apartments in Dhaka and Khulna priced at around Tk1 crore to Tk3 crore depending on location and size.
She also claimed the company’s buildings are designed to withstand earthquakes measuring 8.25 in magnitude. Engineering documents supporting the claim were not verified for this report.
Bank and cement stalls are also part of the fair, allowing visitors to explore financing and construction materials alongside property options.
For buyers planning to build on their own land, information on construction materials is also relevant.
The cost of buying a home, however, does not end with the listed price.
Buyers also need to consider parking, utility connections, registration and other applicable charges when calculating the total cost.
Once they move in, monthly maintenance expenses become part of the household budget. Those using bank loans must additionally consider interest, instalments and the loan period.
That is why Fahamida wants to keep looking, even though she already likes one project.
Before spending years of savings on a home, she wants to balance price and location with reliability.
At the fair, she is gathering the information she needs before deciding where that future address will be.
