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| Bangladesh |
| Controversial 'Banani BNP Palli' yet to be scrapped |
| 2009-02-14 |
| The ongoing construction at the "Banani BNP Palli" stands as a glaring example of nepotism during the four-party rule, as the then government allotted the Rajuk plots to party men, businesspersons and intellectuals loyal to it. Former ministers, state ministers and lawmakers of the BNP-Jamaat alliance government, son of the immediate past president and pro-BNP intellectuals controversially got the plots abusing power and violating the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) rules. Although the caretaker government initially withheld the registration process of the plots, it later allowed the allottees to go ahead with construction at the housing project popularly known as "Banani BNP Palli". During the interim rule, only three of the 50 allottees declined the plots, say sources in Rajuk. But others have got their plots registered, while many of them have already erected six-storey houses there. "We have already given clearance to the registered plots, for which the allottees have deposited all instalments as per the government decision," says an official of Rajuk. Forty-five plot owners have so far completed the registration process and two more have also got the clearance after paying the instalments. Four more plot owners who shifted their possession of plot from an Uttara project to Banani also got clearance after registration. Earlier, Rajuk suspended the process of registration on February 26, 2007 after the military-backed caretaker government assumed power. But the authorities lifted the suspension on January 29 last year and approved construction on the plots without any public announcement. According to rules, people having land property in the capital are not eligible to get Rajuk plots. But some of the allottees own land property in the capital. Though applications were sought through an open announcement for the plots in 2004 and around 3,000 people applied, only influential BNP ministers, state ministers, lawmakers and BNP-leaning intellectuals got those at the fag-end of BNP rule. Former mayors of Rajshahi and Barisal Mizanur Rahman Minu and Mojibur Rahman Sarwar, MP will be the next-door neighbours in Banani. Houses of former BNP state ministers Alamgir Kabir and Prof Rezaul Karim of Narayanganj are also next to each other. Besides, former state ministers Fazlur Rahman Patal, Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu, former lawmaker Md Alauddin, and former DU vice-chancellor Prof Maniruzzaman Miah have already raised six-storey houses on their land. Their caretakers are taking care of the under construction buildings. Most of the allottees started the construction even before registration or paying the instalments. Some of them are behind bars but have managed to have the land registered in their names. |
| Posted by:Fred |