Cox's Bazar Development Authority (CoxDA), Ministry of Housing and Public Works

What Cox's Bazar Development Authority (CoxDA), Ministry of Housing and Public Works does

Cox's Bazar Development Authority (CoxDA) is a statutory body of the Government of Bangladesh, established by Act of Parliament (Jatiya Sangshad) in 2016 and operating under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works. Its mandate is to regulate and direct the planned development of Cox's Bazar district — home to the world's longest unbroken sandy beach at 120 km along the Bay of Bengal — across multiple upazilas including Sadar, Ramu, Teknaf, and Ukhiya. The authority exercises exclusive jurisdiction over building permits, land use certification, and vendor enlistment under the 2013 Cox's Bazar Master Plan, which provides a Structure Plan, Sectoral Policies, and Action Area Plans as its regulatory framework.

CoxDA delivers services through a portfolio of digital portals: the Land Use Information (LUI) Portal providing map-based access to zoning, development-restricted areas, and building height restrictions; the Land Use Certificate (LUC) Online Application System for permit processing; and the Vendor Enlistment Portal for registering engineers, architects, planners, and developers. These portals are integrated with national e-governance platforms including the Grievance Redressal System (grs.gov.bd) and Government Performance Management System (gpms.cabinet.gov.bd), with internal communications supported by a Zimbra webmail system. Beyond its regulatory mandate, CoxDA is undertaking direct development projects including the Tourism City Master Plan for the district and the CoxDA Residential Flat Development Project-1 in Sadar Upazila, and conducts active mobile court enforcement under the Consumer Rights Protection Act, BSTI Act, and building regulations.

CoxDA is wholly government-owned with no private or public shareholding. Its revenue mix comprises operating budget allocations from the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and transaction-based service fees for permits, certificates, and registrations. The authority operates with a staff of approximately 26 from a single headquarters office on Circuit House Road, Cox's Bazar, and partners with UNDP Bangladesh on climate-resilient development planning. It ranked first among all offices under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works for Annual Performance Agreement implementation in fiscal year 2021-22.

Name

Cox's Bazar Development Authority (CoxDA), Ministry of Housing and Public Works

Legal name

Cox's Bazar Development Authority

Website

https://coxda.gov.bd

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CoxDA is a Bangladeshi statutory government authority under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works that regulates urban development across Cox's Bazar district, issuing building permits, land use certificates, and vendor registrations through dedicated online portals per the 2013 Master Plan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Urban Development Authority

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Planning, Zoning, Permitting & Code Enforcement (BPAIACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Compliance & Enforcement Agencies (BPAIAOAM), Licensing & Permitting Authorities (General) (BPAIAOAB), State/Provincial Licensing, Permitting & Regulatory Administration (Cross-sector) (BPAIABAO), Environmental Policy, Planning & Regulation (BPAIAMAA), Facility Siting, Permitting & Land-Use Regulatory Compliance (Multi-media Permitting, Zoning/Entitlements Support) (EUAHABAH)

Keywords

• Urban development regulation
• Building permit services
• Land use planning
• Government development authority
• Master plan enforcement

Headquarters

HQ city

Cox's Bazar

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

Revenue model

1. Government Budget Allocation: CoxDA receives operational and project funding from the Ministry of Housing and Public Works as a statutory government body
2. Service Fees: Fees collected for services including building permit applications, land use certificates, and registration of engineers, architects, planners, and developers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CoxDA operates as the statutory regulatory and development authority for Cox's Bazar district, issuing building permits, processing land use certificates, registering engineers, architects, planners, and developers, and enforcing the Cox's Bazar District Master Plan. It manages urban development projects (road widening, pond rehabilitation, sculpture installation, street lighting, biodiversity conservation) and operates mobile courts for enforcement under the Consumer Rights Protection Act, the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution Act, and against unauthorized construction. Services are delivered through a headquarters office and a portfolio of online portals including LUI, LUC, and Vendor Enlistment.

Product overview

Cox's Bazar Development Authority (CoxDA) is a statutory body established in 2016 under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works. The authority operates as a regulatory and development body overseeing planned development of Cox's Bazar as a major tourist destination. CoxDA offers a portfolio of digital services including the Land Use Information (LUI) Portal for map-based land use data, the Land Use Certificate (LUC) System for online application processing, and a Vendor Enlistment Portal for registration of engineers and developers. Internal operations are supported by a Zimbra-powered web mail system. Citizen-facing services include complaint management integrated with the national Grievance Redressal System and an Innovation Corner for documenting e-governance initiatives. The authority also manages residential flat development projects and comprehensive master planning for the district.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Land Use Certificate (LUC) Online Application System Online system for citizens, developers, and professionals to apply for and obtain land use certificates authorizing development in Cox's Bazar district per the Master Plan.
• Vendor/Professional Enlistment Portal Online portal for registration and enlistment of engineers, architects, planners, and developer firms as a precondition for undertaking or approving development projects in Cox's Bazar district.
• Land Use Information (LUI) Portal Public web portal providing map-based land use information per the Cox's Bazar District Master Plan, including land use zoning, Development Restricted Areas, Building Height Restrictions, and Mauza Sheet-wise maps.
• Mobile Court Enforcement Operations Mobile court operations conducted across Cox's Bazar town and beach areas enforcing the Consumer Rights Protection Act 2009, the BSTI Act 2018, and building regulations, including fines and partial demolition of unauthorized structures.
• CoxDA Residential Flat Development Project-1 Residential housing development project under Cox's Bazar Sadar Upazila managed by CoxDA as a development authority housing initiative.
• CoxDA Building Permit and Plan Approval Services Statutory service for issuing building permits and approving construction plans in Cox's Bazar district, enforced through the Master Plan framework and supported by registered professional verification.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UNDP BangladeshcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNDP is assisting CoxDA in executing climate-resilient development plans for Cox's Bazar. This partnership focuses on sustainable development strategies and climate adaptation measures for the coastal region.
• Ministry of Housing and Public WorkscoreOthersParent ministry overseeing CoxDA operations. The ministry provides policy direction, budget allocation, and administrative oversight for the development authority.
• Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU)minorOthersCPTU provides procurement guidance and technical standards for CoxDA's procurement activities under government procurement regulations.
• Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil DefenceminorOthersCoordination on building safety and fire safety compliance for development projects in Cox's Bazar.
• Bangladesh PostminorOthersNews coverage partner publishing stories about CoxDA activities and development initiatives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Rajshahi Development Authority (RDA): Statutory development authority for Rajshahi city under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, with the same regulatory mandate over development, permitting, and planning for a Bangladesh divisional city.
• Chittagong Development Authority (CDA): Statutory development authority for Chittagong under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, exercising nearly identical functions of zoning, building permits, and land development regulation in Bangladesh's largest port city.
• Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK): Bangladesh's capital city development authority in Dhaka, operating under the same Ministry of Housing and Public Works with a comparable mandate of urban planning, building permits, and development regulation at larger scale.
• Khulna Development Authority (KDA): Statutory development authority for Khulna city, operating under the same ministry with directly comparable regulatory mandate over building permits, land use planning, and development control in a Bangladesh divisional city.

Others

• Bangladesh National Building Code (HNWA): Housing and Building Research Institute that sets the national building code that CoxDA enforces at the district level — a regulatory framework peer whose standards CoxDA implements.
• UNDP Bangladesh: UN agency partner of CoxDA providing technical assistance for climate-resilient development — a strategic adjacent party rather than a competitive peer, but materially involved in CoxDA's development mandate.
• Department of Environment (DoE), Bangladesh: Bangladesh's central environmental regulator that coordinates with CoxDA on environmental protection and coastal ecosystem preservation — a peer regulator within the broader environmental compliance space.
• Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence: Government agency that coordinates with CoxDA on building safety and fire safety compliance for development projects — an adjacent regulatory partner sharing the district-level oversight function.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cox-s-bazar-development-authority

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Cox's Bazar Development Authority (CoxDA), Ministry of Housing and Public Works