Why no commission yet: HC on house rent

The High Court yesterday issued a rule asking the government to explain why it should not be directed to form a commission to make necessary recommendations for setting a standard of house rent and to appoint a rent controller at ward level. 

In the rule, the court also asked the respondents to show cause why Section-15 of the House Rent Control Act, 1991 that describes the method of fixing house rent should not be declared illegal and unconstitutional.

Cabinet secretary, the prime minister’s office secretary, parliament secretariat secretary, law secretary and mayors of two city corporations of Dhaka have been made respondents to the rule, returnable in four weeks.

The HC bench of Justice Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md Shohrowardi came up with the rule following a writ petition filed by rights organisation Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh seeking necessary order.

During the hearing, petitioner’s lawyer advocate Manzill Murshid told the HC that if house rent is fixed according to Section 15 of the 1991 law, the rent would be three-four times higher than the standard and tenants will have to allocate most of their income to house rent, which will cause them to suffer.

Therefore, Section-15 of the House Rent Control Act, 1991 is contradictory to the fundamental rights guaranteed by Article 32 of the constitution, he argued, saying that the section is ineffective and needs to be scrapped.