- Definitions.In this Code, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or
context,
ACCESSORY USE
means any use subordinate to the major use which is
normally incidental to the major use.
ALTERATION
means any change, addition or modification in construction
such as structural, dimensional, or any removal of any part of
a building or any change to or closing of any required means
of ingress or egress or a change to the fixtures or equipment
or any change in land use or occupancy or use.
APPLICANT
means a person, a firm, a company, a corporation, or a
government, semi-government or non-government agency
who intends to undertake any work regulated by this Code
and who has filed an application to the Building Official for
this purpose in a form prescribed in the Code.
APPROVED
means approved by the Authority.
APPROVED PLAN
means the set of plans, designs and specifications of building
submitted to the Authority as per provision of this Code and
duly approved and sanctioned by the Authority.
ARCHITECT
means a person who has a Bachelor Degree in Architecture
and is a member of the Institute of Architects, Bangladesh
(IAB).
AUTHORITY
means the Bangladesh Building Regulatory Authority.
AUTHORIZED
OFFICER
means BUILDING OFFICIAL.
BASEMENT
means a floor of a building more than 50 percent of which is
situated at a depth of 1 m or more below crown of the main
entry road.
BUILDING
means any permanent or semi-permanent structure which is
constructed or erected for human habitation or for any other
purpose and includes but not limited to the foundation,
plinth, walls, floors, roofs, stairs, chimneys, fixed platform,
verandah, balcony, cornice, projections, extensions, annexes
etc. The term building will also include the sanitary,
plumbing, electrical, HVAC, appurtenances and all other
building service installations which are constructed or
erected as an integral part of a building.
BUILDING LINE
means the line up to which the plinth of a building may
lawfully extend. Also known as SETBACK LINE.
BUILDING OFFICIAL means a person who is the jurisdictional administrator of this
Code appointed by the Authority.
COMMITTEE
means a Building Construction Committee constituted for
any area in the prescribed manner, if necessary.
CONSTRUCT
means ERECT.
CONVERSION
means the change in occupancy or premises to any
occupancy or use requiring new occupancy permit.
COVERED AREA
means the ground area above the plinth level which is
covered by a building structure. The covered area of a
building shall exclude gardens, wells, cornice, sunshade,
pergola, septic tank, soak well, unpaved uncovered water
body, fountains, drainage structures, boundary wall, gates,
porch, uncovered staircase, watchman’s cabin, detached
pump house, garbage chutes and other uncovered utility
structures.
DEVELOPMENT
means carrying out construction of buildings, engineering,
mining or other operations in, or over or under land or water.
Includes re-development and layout and subdivision of any
land. ‘To develop’ and other grammatical variations shall be
interpreted accordingly.
DIPLOMA
ARCHITECT
means a person who has a Diploma in Architecture from any
recognized Polytechnic or Technical Institute and is a
member of the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh
(IDEB).
DIPLOMA
ENGINEER
means a person who has a Diploma in Engineering from any
recognized Polytechnic or Technical Institute and is a
member of the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh
(IDEB).
DRAIN
means a conduit or channel for conveying water, sewage, or
other waste liquid for subsequent disposal.
DRAINAGE
means the disposal of any liquid with a system meant for this
purpose.
ENGINEER
means a person who has a Bachelor Degree in Engineering
and is a member of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh
(IEB).
ERECT
means to erect a new building or re-erect an existing building
or to convert a building from one occupancy to another. Also
known as CONSTRUCT.
FORMATION LEVEL
means finished ground level of a plot. For hilly areas
formation levels shall be the gradient of the plot surface.
GEOTECHNICAL
ENGINEER
means engineer with Masters degree in geotechnical
engineering having at least 2 (two) years of experience in
geotechnical design/construction or graduate in civil
engineering/engineering geology having 10 (ten) years of
experience in geotechnical design/construction.
ENGINEERING
GEOLOGIST
means a person having a postgraduate degree in engineering
geology and having 2 years of experience in geotechnical
exploration and interpretation.
GOVERNMENT
means the government of the People’s Republic of
Bangladesh.
GRADE
means the lowest point of elevation of the finished surface of
the ground, pavement or footpath within the area between the
building and the property line or a line 1.5 m from the
building whichever is nearer the building.
HEIGHT OF
BUILDING
means the vertical distance from a reference datum to the
highest point of the building which includes all building
appurtenances like overhead water tank, machine room,
communication tower etc. The reference datum shall be the
elevation of the nearest footpath or the elevation of the
nearest road or street or public way at its centre line,
whichever is higher.
HIGH RISE
BUILDING
means any building which is more than 10-storey or
33 m high from reference datum. Building appurtenances
like overhead water tank, machine room, communication
tower etc. will not be considered in determining the height.
OCCUPANCY or USE
GROUP
means the purpose for which a building or a part thereof is
used or intended to be used.
OCCUPANCY,
MAJOR
means the major or principal occupancy of a building or a
part thereof which has attached to it subsidiary occupancy or
occupancies contingent upon it.
OCCUPIER
means a person paying or liable to pay rent or any portion of
rent of a building in respect of which the word is used, or
compensation or premium on account of occupation of such
building and also a rent-free tenant. Does not include a
lodger and the words ‘occupancy’ and ‘occupation’ do not
refer to the lodger. In such cases, the owner himself or
herself is living in his or her own building, he or she shall be
deemed to be the occupier thereof.
OWNER OF A
BUILDING
means the person, organization or agency at whose expenses
the building is constructed or who has the right to transfer the
same and includes his or her heirs, assignees and legal
representatives, and a mortgagee in possession.
PERMIT
means a written document or certificate issued by the
Authority for carrying out a specific activity under the
provisions of this Code.
PLANNER
means a person who has a Bachelor or a Postgraduate Degree
in Planning and is a member of the Bangladesh Institute of
Planners (BIP).
PLINTH AREA
means the elements from the building bases which are
exposed above the formation level to form a covered floor
area by joining the peripheral points of the elements which
are intersected at finished floor plane at the height of plinth
level.
PLINTH LEVEL
means height of a covered finished floor which is not more
than 1 m above the formation level nor 1.85 m from the
crown of adjacent road level.
PLOT
means SITE.
PLUMBING
ENGINEER
means an Engineer (Civil/Mechanical) who has experience in
the field of plumbing or sanitation.
PUBLIC WAY
means ROAD.
RELIABLE
LITERATURE
means RELIABLE REFERENCE.
RELIABLE
REFERENCE
means reference materials such as published article, codes,
standards or other material judged to be reliable by the
professional users and specialists in the subject concerned.
This may also be referred to as RELIABLE LITERATURE.
ROAD
means a thoroughfare or public way which has been
dedicated or deeded to the public for public use and also
known as STREET.
ROAD LINE
means a line defining the side limits of a road.
ROOM HEIGHT
means the clear head room between the finished floor surface
and the finished ceiling surface or the underside of the joists
or beams, whichever is lower.
SANCTIONED PLAN
means the set of plans, design and specifications of a
building submitted to the Authority as per provision of this
Code and duly approved and sanctioned by the Authority.
SERVICE ROAD
means a road or lane provided at the rear or side of a plot for
service purposes.
SETBACK LINE
means BUILDING LINE.
SITE
means a piece or parcel of land on which a building is
intended to be or has already been constructed and also
known as PLOT.
SPECIALIST
means a professional who by education, research, practice
and experience specializes in a particular branch of a broader
discipline and is generally judged to be so by the
professional body in the relevant discipline.
STOREY
means the portion of a structure between tops of two
successive finished floor surfaces and for the topmost storey,
from surface of the finished floor of topmost floor to the top
of the roof above.
STOREY, FIRST
means the lowest storey in a building which qualifies as a
storey as defined herein; for a building with a basement, it is
the storey just above the basements.
STREET
means ROAD.
STREET LEVEL
means the elevation of the centre line of any road or street
which a plot fronts.
STREET LINE
means ROAD LINE.
SUPERVISOR,
CONSTRUCTION
means an Architect or Engineer or Diploma Architect or
Diploma Engineer having experience in supervision of
construction works.
UNSAFE BUILDING
means a building which, in the opinion of the Building
Official, is structurally unsafe, or insanitary, or lacks proper
means of ingress or egress, or which constitutes a hazard to
life or property.Last modified on August 26, 2026
