Dhaka, June 10 -- With the national budget for fiscal year 2026-27 set for announcement, the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) has called on the government to treat the housing sector as a growth engine rather than a revenue extraction target.

It said high taxes, steep registration costs and double-digit mortgage rates are pricing out middle-income families and slowing a sector linked to some 269 downstream industries.

In a press release on Wednesday, REHAB President Ali Afzal outlined a package of demands the association wants reflected in the upcoming budget, centring on single-digit interest rates on home loans, reduced flat registration and stamp duty charges, a dedicated housing credit fund for middle-income...