Department of Architecture Ministry of Housing and Public Works

What Department of Architecture Ministry of Housing and Public Works does

The Department of Architecture (স্থাপত্য অধিদপ্তর) is a government directorate under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works (গৃহায়ন ও গণপূর্ত মন্ত্রণালয়) of the Government of Bangladesh, headquartered at Architecture Bhaban, Segunbagicha, Dhaka-1000. The entity traces its origins to the Office of the Consulting Architect in British colonial East Pakistan in 1947 and was formally re-established under the name Department of Architecture on 30 June 1977, with Shah Alam Zahir Uddin as the first Chief Architect. It currently operates through 7 Circles and approximately 20+ divisions to deliver nationwide coverage.

Its mandate spans architectural design preparation, Development Project Proposal (DPP) drafting assistance, land requirement finalization, floor area ratio determination, design review, construction supervision, heritage conservation, and Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) compliance assessment for all ministries, divisions, directorates, agencies, and autonomous bodies of the Government of Bangladesh. Strategic coordination is maintained with Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), the Housing and Building Research Institute (HBRI), the Bangladesh Institute of Architects (IAB), and the Public Works Department (PWD).

Digital services augment the operating model: a Zimbra-based Web Mail system supports internal communication, an E-filing system handles document workflows, a Project Site Inspection Mobile App enables field supervision, and a Standardized Finishing Schedule Software (স্ট্যান্ডার্ডাইজড ফিনিশিং শিডিউল সফটওয়্যার) manages finishing specifications. The department provides services free of charge to government agencies and is funded entirely through Bangladesh's national budget allocation. Current leadership: Chief Architect Mohammad Asifur Rahman Bhuiyan (since 2026); ministry-level oversight under Minister Zakaria Taher, MP, and Secretary Mohammad Nazrul Islam (since 27 March 2025).

Name

Department of Architecture Ministry of Housing and Public Works

Legal name

Department of Architecture Ministry of Housing and Public Works

Website

https://architecture.gov.bd

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Department of Architecture (স্থাপত্য অধিদপ্তর) is a Bangladesh government directorate under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works providing architectural design, planning, construction supervision, building code standards, and field inspection services for all government agencies nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Architectural Services (54131), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (236220), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (23622)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Government & Civic Building Construction (Courthouses, City Halls, Public Safety) (IMAFACAF), Office & Corporate Building Construction (IMAFACAA), Healthcare Facility Construction (Hospitals, Clinics, Labs) (IMAFACAD), Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

Keywords

• Government architectural design
• Construction supervision services
• Building code compliance
• Public infrastructure planning
• Heritage conservation design

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Department of Architecture provides architectural design, planning, and construction supervision services for all government building projects in Bangladesh. Its portfolio includes preliminary and detailed architectural design, Development Project Proposal (DPI) preparation assistance, land requirement finalization, floor area determination, BNBC compliance assessment, and field supervision through site visits and a mobile inspection app. Services are delivered free of charge to government ministries, divisions, directorates, autonomous bodies, and public corporations.

Product overview

The Department of Architecture (স্থা�ত্য অধিদপ্তর) is a government department under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works that provides architectural and design services for government projects in Bangladesh. The department offers a unified portfolio of services centered on architectural design and construction supervision, including DPI (Development Project Proposal) preparation assistance, land requirement finalization, floor area determination, and building design development. These core services are supplemented by digital tools including a Project Site Inspection Mobile App for field monitoring, Zimbra-based web mail for internal communication, and a Standardized Finishing Schedule Software for managing construction schedules. The department operates through multiple circles and divisions to deliver architectural planning services across government ministries and projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design and Construction Supervision Services (নকশা প্রণয়ন ও নির্মাণ তদারকী)

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) / Capital Development AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on urban planning, building permission standards, and heritage conservation. RAJUK and the Department of Architecture coordinate on building code compliance and land development policies.
• Housing and Building Research Institute (HBRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) development and enforcement. HBRI provides technical research support for building standards.
• Bangladesh Institute of Architects (IAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional coordination with the national architects' institute for standards development, professional training, and architectural best practices in government construction.
• Public Works Department (PWD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInter-departmental coordination for government construction projects. PWD handles structural engineering while the Department of Architecture provides architectural design and supervision.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Central Public Works Department (CPWD), India: CPWD is India's analogous central government architecture and construction directorate. It performs a nearly identical function — designing, constructing, and maintaining central government buildings — and offers a comparable operating model, scale, and regulatory positioning in a neighboring South Asian context.
• Public Works Department (PWD), Bangladesh: The Public Works Department of Bangladesh is the closest direct peer, collaborating with the Department of Architecture on every major government project. While PWD handles structural engineering and construction execution, the Architecture Department handles design and supervision — together they form the core delivery pair for government-built infrastructure.
• Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK): RAJUK is Bangladesh's capital development authority for Dhaka, coordinating with the Department of Architecture on building permission standards, heritage conservation, and land development policies. It is a direct local collaborator with overlapping urban planning and building-code authority.
• Housing and Building Research Institute (HBRI): HBRI is Bangladesh's research body for building standards, partnering with the Department of Architecture on BNBC development and enforcement. It provides technical research underpinning the building codes the department applies in government project design.
• National Housing Authority, Bangladesh: National Housing Authority is a government body executing housing programs and receiving transferred architects from the Department of Architecture. It represents a downstream extension of the department's mandate into housing development — comparable in serving public-sector housing demand.
• Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Bangladesh: LGED is a Bangladesh government directorate delivering rural and local infrastructure across all 64 districts. It is a structural peer at the same governmental tier — a large, multi-divisional directorate executing public-sector built-environment work nationwide.

Emerging players

• Bangladesh Institute of Architects (IAB): IAB is the national professional institute coordinating with the Department of Architecture on standards, training, and best practices. While it does not directly design buildings, it shapes the architectural profession whose practitioners the department oversees for government work.

Broad incumbents

• Building and Construction Authority (BCA), Singapore: Singapore's BCA is a government agency regulating building standards, codes, and construction quality. Although broader in scope (covering the entire built environment rather than just architecture), it offers a model for government-led building-code development that parallels BNBC's role.
• U.S. General Services Administration (Public Buildings Service): The GSA's Public Buildings Service designs, constructs, and manages federal buildings across the United States. It is the closest international analogue in mandate — sole provider of architectural and facilities services for a national government — though operating at much larger scale and with different funding mechanisms.
• Public Works Department (PWD), India: India's state-level PWDs handle construction and maintenance of state government buildings. While not central, they offer a regional-government comparator for the design-supervision-build operating model the Bangladesh Department of Architecture embodies at the national level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/architecture.gov.bd
• Facebookfacebook.com/DOA.GOB
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/doa-gob

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Department of Architecture Ministry of Housing and Public Works