Single tenants in trouble
After the news that the Gulshan café attackers “used two flats in the capital as their dens” surfaced, suspicion and a sense of insecurity have gripped many landlords who rent out their flats to students, bachelors or single people.
Some homeowners have decided to vacate their flats rented by single people, and let those apartments to families, while some imposed restrictions on existing tenants, asking them not to bring any guests or come home late at night.
“I've decided to ask the existing bachelor tenants to leave my house soon. Once they leave, I'll search for some families,” said Sarwar Uddin Shahin, owner of a six-storey building in Moghbazar.
The second and third floors of the building are rented to bachelors.
The current situation has caused problems to many who arrived in the city in pursuit of higher education and employment.
“It is already difficult for bachelors to find a place to live in. Now the current situation has made it more difficult for us to rent a flat,” said Raunak Ibne Akthar, a private university student.
Raunak, who is now staying at his friends' mess as a guest, has been looking for a mess for the last two months.
Last week, police arrested North South University professor Gias Uddin Ahsan and one Nurul Islam of Mirpur on charges of renting out their flats to Gulshan café attackers and withholding tenants' information from police.
After the arrests, many landlords have become more cautious about letting their flats to single people. They are unwilling to rent out their flats to unknown people or without filling up the tenant information form prescribed by the local police stations.
Around 15 million people live in the capital and a major portion of them live in rented houses.
A good number of students, working bachelors and labourers live in messes in the capital.
Students and employees mostly live near their universities, colleges and workplaces so that they can commute easily.
Our correspondents visited Badda, Shahjadpur, Moghbazar, Mohammadpur, Jatrabari and Farmgate areas, and talked to landlords and tenants there.
Akram Ali Bablu, a house owner in Badda, said, “We are maintaining strict security after the Gulshan attack. We feel a little bit safer now.”
However, Rawshan Ara, a tenant of the building, said they do not feel completely safe.
“After the Gulshan attack, we're feeling uncomfortable to live with bachelor tenants in the building,” she said.
The landlord should not allow bachelors, she observed.
Another house owner in Badda Abdur Rashid Mia said, “We've been living here for around 18 years. I personally don't prefer to allow bachelors unless they are known to me. But from now on we won't allow any bachelors.”
The situation will aggravate the accommodation crisis of students coming from outside the capital.
“Some of my friends have come to Dhaka recently for higher studies but they're facing difficulties in getting a mess,” said Faisal Ahmed, a private university student.
“House owners ask so many personal questions that often embarrass us,” said Soyebur Rahman, a student of Dhaka College.
“Most of the private universities and colleges don't have accommodation facilities. If the landlords continue to say no to bachelors, thousands of students like me will be in trouble,” he said.
Al Jabir, who recently graduated from a private marine academy, said bachelor tenants face harassment as the police often conduct raids in the messes.
“I paid a visit to one of my friend's mess last month at Mohammadpur Housing Society where police raided. Luckily, they [police] did not find anything ...” he said.
Moshiur Rahman, another private university student, lives in a mess with other students and bachelors at Farmgate. He said their landlord asked them to carry identity cards with them all the time to avert police harassment.
“We welcome the government's move but also request the law enforcement agencies not to harass innocent people,” he added.
Many homeowners in Jatrabari, where a good number of labourers and madrasa students reside, have become aware and begun collecting information of tenants.
“About 80 percent of my tenants are from Barisal region and I know almost all of them. If I find anyone suspicious, I keep a close watch on him or ask him to leave,” said Nesar Uddin, a caretaker who oversees eight houses in Mirhajirbagh.
Mostaq, a small businessman, lives in a mess in the same area. He said a total of 27 people live there. “I myself keep a copy of NID of my roommates for security purpose,” he said.
Subhan Mia, a caretaker of an apartment in Nikunja where mostly students and single people live, said, “Renting out rooms to single people is a bit profitable. They consume less water and electricity. Besides, they are less complaining.”
(Belal Hossain Biplob, Abdullah Al Nayeem, Chiran Mathews and Mahdi Al Muhtasim contributed to this report)
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