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Towers of forgery of individuals and real-estate companies are set to get under eviction drive as the structures are being built illegally by occupying government-owned land in Mirpur's section-9 area, sources said.
The National Housing Authority (NHA) prepares for the drive to demolish the private properties of 24 individuals and real-estate companies from the public land near its Swapnnagar housing project -two.
The entities facing eviction include Sagufta Housing, Ali Nagar, Haveli Property Development Ltd, Assure Group, NM Housing, Sunview Towers, City Life Properties, and RAK Two Towers, along with 17 other individuals and entities, according to NHA sources.
These occupants have allegedly forged documents to claim ownership of NHA land and falsely asserted that the land does not belong to government. Some of them have even filed lawsuits and served legal notices against the NHA, claiming ownership rights over the plots in question.
Some of the builders, contacted by the FE writer, denied the allegations.
Officials of the government builder--National Housing Authority-- could not confirm to the FE the exact amount of land trespassed upon or the duration of such occupation. However, according to local residents and eyewitnesses, real- estate property developers and individuals have "unlawfully" taken over around 14 acres of land since 2017.
Although the "land grabbers" had been evicted earlier, they later reoccupied the area through the use of force, the locals said.
In September 2024, NHA's Mirpur office submitted a proposal to its headquarters seeking approval for eviction. The NHA board subsequently gave the go-ahead, clearing the way for eviction drives at any time. Letters have also been sent to RAJUK instructing it not to approve any building designs for these "illegally occupied plots".
NHA officials note that, in the past, an NHA officer had issued no-objection certificates to some of these companies, but those NOCs were later revoked upon further scrutiny.
The NHA confirmed that any makeshift structures on these lands will also be removed during the eviction drive.
"We are fully prepared to carry out the eviction," says Md. Kayser Ibnay Saikh, Executive Engineer, Dhaka Division-1 (Mirpur) of the NHA.
"No land grabbers will be spared. Eviction drives will be conducted soon," Saikh states.
An Executive Magistrate has already been appointed to oversee the eviction process.
"In September 2024, we sent a letter to the NHA headquarters identifying these individuals and companies as illegal occupants," he says, adding: "In October last year, we also requested the head office to refrain from approving any building designs for these disputed lands."
A resident in the area, on condition of anonymity, said: "As a long-time resident of the area, I've seen firsthand how these illegal land occupations have affected our community. It's frustrating to see how powerful individuals and companies managed to grab government land with forged documents, build structures, and even threaten legal action against authorities".
While ordinary citizens struggle for a small plot or housing approval, these real -estate groups "bypass the law with influence and money," he deplores.
The situation has created uncertainty and fear among genuine residents. "Many of us worry whether our own properties could one day be challenged with fake claims," the resident told the FE writer.
"I welcome the NHA's move to evict the illegal occupants, but I also believe those who issued forged documents or turned a blind eye within the authorities must be held accountable," he added.
Prof Dr Adil Mohammed Khan, president of Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), says there is no legal scope for realtors or individuals to unlawfully grab NHA or other government lands.
Taking to the FE, he also expressed doubt about the NHA's sincerity in properly safeguarding these lands, saying, "I believe the NHA has been negligent in fulfilling its responsibilities. If they are incapable, they should inform the government."
Dr. Adil further alleges that RAJUK has violated the 1995 Land Development Rules for the past 15 years.
He accuses both NHA and RAJUK of jointly issuing illegal permissions for the use of public lands and urges the government to publish a White Paper to expose these irregularities.
He also castigates continued silence of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works on this score, calling it both "alarming and frustrating."
According to him, no reforms have been introduced in these two key institutions over the past 16 years, and no action has been taken against officials responsible for these violations.
Earlier, the NHA had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tropical Homes Ltd (THL) to jointly develop affordable housing projects for the public. However, the NHA later cancelled the MoU, citing violations of its terms.
In this sprawling capital city, Dhaka, where affluence and misery meet in a paradox, umpteen people have no roof of their own over their head while private builders' houses are beyond affordability of many middle-class residents even.
Saiful Islam, president of Sunview Towers owners, firmly rejected the allegations made by the National Housing Authority, calling them "completely false and baseless".
"We are the legal owners of the land, supported by all proper documentation and evidence," he stated. "The land was purchased from Sagufta Housing, and we have been regularly paying land taxes to the government."
He also notes that the NHA chairman had previously held a meeting with them to resolve the issue amicably.
"The NHA's claim is both unlawful and misleading, as they have failed to provide any concrete evidence to support their stance," Islam adds.
"We also have a court-issued stay order on the land, which legally prevents the NHA from making any claim or attempting to evict us," he said.
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