Project Name: RAJUK Kancha Bazaar

Location: Road 414, Sector 01 & Road 407, Sector 05; Purbachal New Town, Dhaka.

Client: RAJUK

Total Built-up Area: 3733.38 sqm

Project Commencement: 10 October 2023

Project Completion: 18 February 2025

Architect/Design Team: Ar. Tarique Hasan (Principal Architect)

                                       Ar. Mohammad Towhidur Rahman

                                       Ar. Nabil Mehdi

Structural Engineer: Engr. Mohammed Burhan Uddin Motayed

Photographer: Mud Canvas 

Located in Sectors 01 and 05 of Purbachal New Town, RAJUK Kacha Bajar is an attempt to reinterpret the social and local characteristics of Bangladesh’s traditional haat bazaar within an urban setting. Built on a 1.25-acre site, this two-story market was completed in 2025. Rather than being conceived solely as a commercial space, the project has been envisioned as an active social hub where everyday buying and selling, interpersonal communication, and social interaction take place within the same setting. The architects intentionally avoided an overly elaborate or expensive expression, instead focusing on simplicity, functionality, and public use. Through this approach, the project seeks to bring the informality and social vitality of the rural haat bazaar into a contemporary urban environment.

Location of the project

Spatial Organization and Connectivity

The market is planned on a 10 feet × 10 feet modular grid, allowing the shop units to be arranged within a flexible framework. The shops are lined along open-ended corridors, creating clear visual connections between different parts of the market. To ensure more organized daily operation, public circulation and service areas have been kept separate. A ramp provides easy and universal access to the upper floor, while the service areas are positioned along the western edge to help reduce the impact of excessive heat.

The corridors surround the central courtyard, which serves as the market's primary social space. More than a circulation area, the courtyard is also intended to accommodate temporary vendors in the future. Similar to a traditional haat, this space is envisioned as a place where people can shop, wait, interact, and participate in everyday social activities. The slaughterhouse is located towards the rear of the market, with a separate waste-management system, while liquid waste is directly connected to the underground STP.

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Image 1: The central courtyard serves as a space for shopping and social interaction, inspired by the traditional rural haat.

Image 2: Interior view of the market during daily trade.

 (AI-generated image)

As the site is bordered by roads on three sides and is adjacent to residential areas, access to the market has been provided from a secondary road to minimize pressure on the main road. Separate access has also been arranged for loading, unloading, and other service activities so that these operations do not interfere with the movement of customers.

The extensive roof overhangs protect the market interiors from intense sunlight and heavy monsoon rainfall. A coordinated system of gutters and drainage networks has been introduced for rainwater collection and management, with provisions for reuse in gardening and other purposes. Considering the potential risk of flooding, the building has been raised on elevated platforms. Separate drainage networks around the platforms help prevent rainwater from accumulating along circulation areas. An underground STP and photovoltaic panels on the roof further enhance the environmental performance of the project.

Detail drawings of the covered floor drain and the roof gutter for rainwater drainage

The concept of Bangladesh’s rural haat bazaar is deeply embedded in the planning of RAJUK Kacha Bajar. Unlike conventional urban markets, where commercial activities and social life are often treated separately, the project attempts to integrate the two within a shared spatial framework. The central courtyard is conceived as a gathering place for temporary vendors, customers, and local people. Alongside grocery shops, provisions have also been made for tea stalls, small food outlets, and seating areas.

The architects have envisioned the project not as an expensive or highly ornamental structure, but as a gathering place for the local community. Its climate-responsive design, natural light and ventilation, accessible and affordable materials, and clearly expressed building systems collectively contribute to an active social environment connected to everyday urban life. Ultimately, RAJUK Kacha Bajar is more than a market building. It represents an attempt to bring the familiar social character of the rural haat into a contemporary urban context, combining traditional spatial ideas with modern construction methods, environmental responsiveness, and the practical needs of an evolving community.