Illegal housing schemes

SOME powerful real estate agents have been developing a number of housing projects through changing the character of lands within the Dhaka Master plan areas since long. Most of these lands fall in the category of wetlands, floodplains, croplands as well as homesteads.

The projects are illegal both according to a High Court order of 2011 as well the private housing land development act of 2004.

Oddly though, the developers claim to have obtained approval from Rajuk and the housing ministry for the projects. How could these realtors get such approvals?

According to reports, while giving approval to those illegal schemes, the housing ministry had bypassed parliamentary standing committee in altering the relevant rules.

However, upon recommendation of the parliamentary standing committee, the controversial approvals of those housing schemes are being scrutinised. And the secretary to the ministry is learnt to have informed that those would be cancelled if any anomaly is found in them.

Clearly, rules have been flouted in approving the illegal housing schemes. But what is still not clear who is or are the culprit(s). The minister is reported to have been misled by Rajuk and his secretary in giving the approval.

There must have been some strange goings-on over giving approval to the illegal housing projects. This is simply beyond the pale.

We demand that the government take the issue with due seriousness and institute a thorough no nonsense enquiry into the matter.

The culprits including the realtors must be found out and punished.