Around 11 acres of land owned by the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) in the capital’s Merul Badda have remained occupied for 21 years, despite the property’s current market value being estimated at around Tk1,650 crore.

Questions have been raised over the lack of effective action to recover the prime land, which lies beside a major road in the area.

According to RAJUK records, the then Dhaka Improvement Trust (DIT) acquired the 11 acres in Badda mouza on 22 February, 1962, for a residential project. The Dhaka district administration handed over possession of the land to DIT on 25 April that year. DIT was renamed RAJUK following an amendment to the relevant law in 1987.

In 2005, a man named Delwar Hossain Bepari filed a writ petition with the High Court to retain possession of the land. Another writ was filed the same year after then-RAJUK magistrate Rokon-Ud-Doula conducted an eviction drive. The Merul Kacha Bazar Samity filed another writ in 2007.

Five writ cases have reportedly been filed against RAJUK over the land.

As the cases have remained unresolved for 21 years, various structures, including fish, poultry and bamboo wholesale markets, have been established on the property. There are also allegations that efforts to recover the land have been obstructed through collusion by some RAJUK officials and employees.

A visit to the area found a bamboo wholesale market, Merul Kacha Bazar and a fish market occupying the roadside land near the Rampura Bridge. A large slum has also developed along part of the property. East West University and Merul Baitul Jame Mosque are located nearby.

Meanwhile, a signboard has been erected at the site claiming that the RAJUK land is privately owned. It names Mohammad Sharif Bhuiyan and Babu Chandra Das as the land’s attorneys. RAJUK, however, maintains that it owns the property.

RAJUK Chairman Engineer Md Riazul Islam said the authority faces numerous writ petitions. Lawyers have been appointed to handle the cases, he said, adding that many RAJUK officials are also reluctant to perform their duties.

Tk300cr allegedly collected from market traders

The Merul Kacha Bazar Shopkeepers’ Association has also faced allegations of collecting a large sum of money in connection with the RAJUK land. Association members claim that around Tk300 crore was collected on the promise of allotting shops.

The association, established in 1988, reportedly has around 6,000 members. Money has allegedly been collected from members at different times under various pretexts, including legal expenses, membership transfers and other costs. RAJUK, however, said no land had been allotted to the Merul Kacha Bazar Shopkeepers’ Association.

Association member Humayun Kabir said he joined the organisation and regularly paid money in the hope of getting a shop. He said 16 years had passed without receiving any shop. He alleged that there was no account of around Tk300 crore collected from about 5,000 members.

Another member, Rabiul Islam Sujon, said he had paid around Tk500,000 to the association over nearly 20 years. He stopped paying instalments after seeing little prospect of getting a shop, he said, adding that there was no trace of the money he had already deposited.

Acting association president Shaheen said the organisation began operating in 1988. Although members had paid subscriptions for around 30 years, their circumstances had not improved, he said. The association had effectively remained inactive for the past decade, he added.

He claimed that the land where the association’s signboard stands belongs to RAJUK. Money was collected from members on assurances that the association would receive the land from RAJUK, but subsequent legal complications arose over its ownership, he said.

RAJUK officials said there was no scope to hand over the land to the association until the cases were resolved.

Source: Kalbela