After the fall of the Awami League (AL) government, the names of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s collaborators in maintaining her authoritarian regime began to come to light. Along with party leaders and activists, the list includes influential bureaucrats, administrative officials, academics, cultural figures, and several media workers, who mainly play a direct and indirect role in protecting the interests of those in power. In recognition of this, they were allocated plots or flats in various projects of the RAJUK and the National Housing Authority. After the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government, there were demands to cancel the allocation of these assets. But even after a year, the plots allocated to controversial people under special consideration have yet to be canceled.
The Ministry of Housing and Public Works Act was amended in 1986. The amended law states, “The government can allocate plots to those it considers important.” Through that clause, government housing projects have become a tool to provide benefits to those close to power. Political analysts argue that dictators have historically relied more on bureaucrats, politicians, and other powerful individuals in society to maintain their rule. At various times, they have also required the support of individuals from different parties, including the judiciary, media, administration, and politicians. In exchange for this support, these people were given various opportunities to increase their wealth. In addition, they were given various facilities and benefits as gifts. During the previous government’s tenure, plots were allocated in various elite residential areas and government projects in the capital, including those related to the judiciary, journalists, politicians, military and civil officials, businessmen and industrialists, celebrities, and individuals close to the government.
The largest housing project of RAJUK is Purbachal. The project was undertaken to meet the housing needs of the middle class. Although the largest allocation of land in Purbachal has been made to government officials. RAJUK allocated 1,632 plots to them through the first phase of the lottery. In addition, 654 plots were allocated to employees of autonomous organizations, 472 to businessmen and industrialists, 591 to private sector employees, 591 to expatriate employees, 296 under freedom fighter quotas, 24 to secretaries, 110 to lawyers, 14 to judges, 57 to members of parliament, 57 to retired officials, 181 to other quotas, 151 to artists and 55 to journalists. Plots were also allocated to RAJUK officials, reserved, and the project victims. Even after the lottery, plots in Purbachal have been allocated at different times according to the government’s whims.
Researcher Mohammad Ejaz has always been vocal against the allocation of plots and flats to bureaucrats and politicians. He is currently serving as the administrator of Dhaka North City Corporation. Criticizing RAJUK for not canceling these controversial allocations in the past year, Mohammad Ejaz said, “Bureaucrats, influential officials of the administration, and media workers played a significant role in maintaining the authoritarian regime. That is why RAJUK plots have been allocated in their names with special consideration. Canceling the plot allocations of these friends of the previous government is not a very complicated matter. We believe that the relevant ministry will make a prompt decision on this matter. This is also a demand of the July spirit. In addition, in the future, no one should receive such gifts from the government, and that path must be completely closed by law.”
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case in January against 16 people for abusing their power to obtain land for the Purbachal new town. In addition to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her daughter Saima Wazed Putul, the case includes National Housing and Public Works Ministry Secretary Md Shahid Ullah Khandaker, Additional Secretary (Administration) Kazi Wasi Uddin, Senior Assistant Secretary Purbi Goldar, Administrative Officer Md Saiful Islam Sarkar, former PA of the former RAJUK chairman Md Anisur Rahman Miah, former RAJUK member (Estate and Land) Md Khorshid Alam, member (Administration and Finance) Kabir Al Asad, member (Development and Control) Tonmoy Das, former member (Planning) Md Nasir Uddin, former member (Development) Major (Engineer) Shamsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury (retd.), Deputy Director (Estate and Land-3) Md Hafizur Rahman, Deputy Director (Estate and Land-3) Habibur Rahman, Director (Estate and Land-2), Sheikh Shahinul Islam and RAJUK member (Estate and Land) Md Nurul Islam were made accused. ACC sources said that Sheikh Hasina and her relatives, in collaboration with senior officials of RAJUK for political reasons, allocated six plots of 10 kathas (1 Katha = 720 Sq feet) each from Road No. 203 of the diplomatic zone of Sector No. 27 of the Purbachal New City project, totaling 60 kathas. For this reason, a case was filed against them under the relevant sections of the Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The High Court formed a three-member committee to investigate the irregularities in the allocation of plots by RAJUK from 2009 to 2024, including those of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family members. An order was issued on October 24, 2022, along with a rule, following a preliminary hearing on a writ. The committee was tasked with submitting a report within 120 days.
When asked about the progress in this regard, RAJUK Chairman Engineer Md Reazul Islam told Bonik Barta, “Work is underway on the plots that were allocated from 2009 to 2024 due to irregularities and political considerations. The High Court has formed a high-powered investigation commission. There is a former secretary, an outside engineer, and one of our members (administration) there. They are working on this. Verification is underway. The report will be published soon. Then the government will make a decision.”
The year after the Awami League came to power in 2009, the then Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque was allocated a RAJUK plot in the judges’ quota. It is alleged that he played a key role in turning Sheikh Hasina into a fascist ruler.
Similar to the Purbachal New City project in Dhaka, the ousted Awami League government also allocated valuable plots to ‘loyal and flatterers’ in the Jhilmil residential project of RAJUK in Keraniganj. More than two hundred plots were given in Jhilmil in the name of ‘outstanding contribution’ nationally in government jobs, public services, and similar sectors. Professor M Abdus Sobhan, who served as Vice-Chancellor of Rajshahi University (RU) from 2009 to 2013 in his first term and from 2017 to 2021 in his second term, also received a plot in that project in recognition of his outstanding contributions. Abdus Sobhan was loyal and close to the Sheikh Hasina government.
Not only has the law been violated in allocating plots to bureaucrats and administrative officials who are satisfied with the government, but there has also been naked interference in the city plan, said Dr. Akter Mahmud, professor of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning (URP) of Jahangirnagar University (JU). He told Bonik Barta, “In all the planned residential areas starting from Gulshan-Banani, the government has given plots to people who are satisfied with their wishes. And in doing so, the plan has been disrupted. In Uttara, a beautiful residential area, plots and flats have been allotted to people close to the government in the lake site area outside the planned development. Similarly, in Mirpur, several canals, including Ramchandrapur Canal, have been filled up and plots have been allotted to people who are desired by the government by the Public Works Department. I mean, such political allocation not only sustains the tyranny of the government, but also completely destroys a city. The victim of which is every citizen living in that city. There have been examples of such allocations before. Those who were allocated plots for political reasons should have their plots cancelled, and those who were involved in this process should also be punished.”
Since the first allotment, ownership of many plots has changed through the purchase and sale of land. As a result, those who have been allotted plots by the government have had the opportunity to make unimaginable financial gains. Among them, government officials are earning much more money than the total amount of money they would have received as a pension after serving their entire lives by selling plots in Purbachal alone.
Therefore, these plots gifted by the government play a big role in creating dictators, believes Dr. Adil Mohammed Khan, president of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP). The director of the Institute of Planning and Development (IPD) told Bonik Barta, “Land is the most valuable thing in Bangladesh. When the government is satisfied with someone’s work, it rewards them with land and positions. For this, RAJUK and housing authorities work obediently. If there is an urgent need in a land-scarce country like Bangladesh, the government can gift a flat to a deserving person at most. But instead of doing that, the government has given plots to thousands of bureaucrats and politicians. I demand that these people’s resources be quickly recovered and used for public welfare.”
Dr. Adil Mohammed Khan has demanded that the bureaucrats who have played a role in allocating plots and flats without paying attention to the law and policy by taking salaries from the people’s money be brought to punishment. In this regard, he said, “The fact that the plot allocations of the Sheikh Hasina government’s awardees have not been canceled in the last one year proves that this government does not have the July spirit. Especially, we do not see that spirit among those in the housing ministry. When a government council compromises with the business syndicate without fully embracing the July spirit, then this is the situation. The people’s demand was to cancel these illegally given allocations. The interim government could not implement it, which is very sad.”