Illegal Land, Housing Projects
Rajuk suspends 21 firms’ registration
Rajuk yesterday suspended registration of 21 listed housing companies, including many prominent ones, for undertaking illegal land projects and selling plots at the ongoing Rehab fair in the capital.
It also served notices on around 20 other companies at the fair venue that are not listed with Rajuk, asking them to stop development of their unapproved land projects immediately.
The capital’s housing authority took the measure in the wake of repeated media reports that it allowed display and sale of unapproved land projects in the fair, violating a High Court directive.
The High Court on December 7 ordered the government to stop advertisement and flat-selling of unapproved housing projects.
The housing companies, whose registrations were suspended, include East West Properties Ltd, Ashyan Lands Development Ltd, Amin Mohammad Lands Development Ltd, Nobodoy Housing Ltd, MA Wahab and Sons Ltd, Shatabdi Housing Ltd, Biswas Builders Ltd, Metro Properties Ltd, Bhulua Royal City Private Ltd, New Vision Lands Development Ltd.
Of the well-known companies, which were served notice include BDDL, Hirajheel Properties Development Ltd, Four Seasons Holdings Ltd, Bashukunja Lands Development Ltd, Bashudha Builders Ltd, US Bangla Group, Udayan Properties Development Ltd, Purbachal NRB Homes Ltd.
The capital’s housing authority, however, spared two projects — Priya Prangan and Alifia Model Town — owned by Nasrul Hamid Bipu, a ruling party lawmaker and also president of Rehab.
Sheikh Abdul Mannan, member (planning) of Rajuk, said that they would go for filing cases against owners of illegal projects if they fail to prove the legality of their projects.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, executive director of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela), said, Rajuk could have taken a much more pro-active role beforehand.
The unapproved housing project owners have excellent skills to buy off the system, she said.
“At one point, they [illegal project owners] would argue that they have sold out plots in the fair and thus they cannot withdraw,” she added.
The owners have undertaken their illegal land projects in violation of town improvement act, master plan of Dhaka, environment conservation act and private housing development rules.
Officials of Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (Rehab), which had organised the fair, gave Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) the responsibility of preventing the illegal projects from the fair.
The High Court earlier declared at least 68 land projects in and around the capital city illegal.
As per Private Housing Land Development Rules of 2004, advertisement and sale of unapproved housing projects is illegal.
Private Housing Development and Management Law, 2010 has the provision of offering punishment of two years imprisonment to law-breakers or a fine of Tk10 lakh or both for their offences.
The other companies, whose registrations were suspended, are Well Care Consortium Ltd, Sabuj Chhaya Abashan Ltd, Tanshir Properties Ltd, Uttoron Properties Ltd, Nasim Group, Glorious Lands Development Ltd, Inspired Development Ltd, Atlantic Properties Ltd, Dakkhina Real Estate Ltd, Invite Properties Ltd and Bangladesh Development Company Ltd.
Ideal Real Estate Ltd, New Dhaka Alliance Ltd, Al Warish Properties Ltd, Actual Lands Development Ltd, Garden Homes and Development Ltd, Vision 21 Design and Development Ltd, Innovative Holdings Ltd, Inspired Development Ltd (Probashi Polli), Dhanshiri (BD) Ltd, AG Properties Ltd, Yes Group are the other companies that were served with notices by Rajuk.
The five-day fair of Rehab will end today.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
