Dhaka: Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain on Wednesday said the government has decided to remove slums from the capital after rehabilitating their dwellers.

‘We’ll be able to rehabilitate them (slum dwellers). And their rehabilitation will be done within the capital and its adjacent areas,’ he told a seminar here.

Housing and Public Works Ministry, Real Estate & Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) and Bangladesh Urban Forum Secretariat jointly arranged the seminar titled ‘Housing solution for the urban poor’ at Brac Center Inn.

The minister said the government has taken an initiative to construct 40,000 to 50,000 apartments in Mirpur area for lower- and middle-income groups and those will be provided at very affordable prices.

He said the poor people should be given support in the interest of making Dhaka livable and beautiful city.

Mosharraf said the housing sector will have to be given money at 3-5 percent interest so that it can survive.

A chunk of money should be provided to the housing sector and forced the builders to arrange accommodations for people like car drivers and housemaids in their project areas.

State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan also spoke at the seminar, chaired by Housing and Public Works Secretary Mohammed Moinuddin Abdullah.