Realtors have warned Rajuk not to interfere in its ongoing fair in Dhaka, means there could be some unauthorised plots/apartments sold in the fair like the previous days. I was very disappointed to read the story in Wednesday morning. Last year, the High Court declared 77 such schemes “illegal” and some of those are very active in the market and media.

However, a facebook share of a news item saying the HC has barred plot selling and advertisements of Ashiyan City — a disputed project of Ashiyan Group having hundreds of acres grabbed land of the government near Dhaka Airport.

As The Daily Star recently published a series of stories on how the govt lands are grabbed by influential firms like Basgundhara and Ashiyan with approval by the housing and public works state minister and the Rajuk chairman. Following this, the parliamentary standing committee on housing and public works ministry launched a probe.

But, interestingly, these firms have, in the meantime, spent huge money in regular advertisements in the print and electronic media. Their commercials have become more atrractive than before, and more frequent to make people forget the news reports on corruprion and irregularities!

I demand a fair probe on the approval process in the housing sector and exemplary punishment of the minister concerned and the Rajuk chairman for defending and allowing the corrupt. I also demand that Rehab behave as a supervising authority and take action against the culprits violating rules and recover the grabbed land.

I also want to see Rehab works under the leadership of Rajuk or the ministry concerned.

Allegations:
1. Ashiyan secured location clearence for 55 acres, and also pledged no landfill. Ashiyan’s paper says the project is 43.11 acres, but they were filling up waterbodies and low lands of 230.46 acres.

2. The firm secured environment clearence and Rajuk approval.

3. The fine of 50 lakhs (5 million) was cut to 5 lakhs.