The biannual housing fair that ended on Sunday registered around 40 percent growth in sales of apartments and plots, compared to the previous show in June last year.
Realtors sold a total of 596 flats and 652 plots worth Tk 620 crore at the five-day show orgainsed by the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB).
Sales at the June fair were worth around Tk 450 crore, said Anisuzzaman Bhuiyan Rana, REHAB general secretary.
However, around 70 percent new apartments still remain unsold due to an absence of gas and electricity connections, the organisers said at the closing ceremony of the show yesterday.
The sales of new flats will increase significantly if the government can give new gas and electricity connections and help arrange home loans at reduced interest rates, said Rana.
Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir said REHAB has made three major contributions to the development of the housing sector.
The association has created a healthy competition among the realtors, introduced new technologies in the construction sector and created a demand, the minister said.
He also assured the developers of taking steps to ensure their security and stop extortion in the sector.
Around 220 real estate companies participated in the show with their land and apartment projects at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka.
At the show, customers also put forward some complaints about delayed handover of apartments and complexities in registration process, the organisers said in a statement.
The number of visitors at the show was more than 25,000, they added.
-With The Daily Star input
