Zoning Explained

What is zoning?

Zoning divides Dhaka into land-use districts. Each plot is assigned a zone that controls what activities and building types are permitted.

Residential zones

Code	Name	Character
R1	Low-Density Residential	Bungalows, low-rise
R2	Medium-Density Residential	Mixed low/mid rise
R3	High-Density Residential	Apartments, high-rise

Commercial & mixed use

Code	Name
C1	Neighbourhood Commercial
C2	Community Commercial
C3	Central Business District
MX	Mixed Use

Restricted & non-buildable zones

Code	Name	Buildable?
AG	Agricultural	❌ Construction fully prohibited (SRO 466/2025)
FF	Flood Flow	❌ All construction prohibited
WB	Water Body	❌
FG	Forest / Green	Limited

Special planning zones

Code	Name
SP	Special Planning Area
TC	Transport Corridor
TD	Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)

Zone × category matrix

Not every building category is allowed in every zone. For example:

• A3 apartments — permitted in R1–R3, MX (conditional)
• G industrial — prohibited in all residential zones
• J hazardous — conditional in IH (heavy industrial) with EIA

The Regulations browser shows the full permission matrix from the database.

GIS reference

RAJUK's public DAP_proposed_landuse layer shows 14 land-use categories including Residential, Commercial, Agricultural, Waterbody, and Transport zones.