CORRUPTION: Massive nepotism in Rajuk's plot allotment
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Sharp public reactoin
Massive nepotism in Rajuk's plot allotment
Star Report
Nepotism and political bias have embroiled Rajuk and the public
works' and housing ministry in a public controversy over the
allotment of 301 residential plots in the city's posh areas.
A section of the ruling Awami League now feels embarassed as over
90 per cent of the lucrative plots have been distributed among
cabinet members, party MPs, leaders and activists and their
relations, allegedly in violation of rules.
Even the bureaucracy is now divided and bitterly critical of the
entire plot affair as many senior officials were refused plots
while many juniors and their spouses got the same by dint of their
sheer connection with the power caucus.
On Friday last, Rajuk announced in a public notice published in
only one daily --- Banglar Bani --- that it had selected 301
individuals for plots in Gulshan, Banani and Uttara areas of the
city. Close scrutiny revealed that most of the plots were
allocated to ruling party members who included 11 cabinet
ministers, 62 ruling party MPs, seven officials of the prime
minister's office and more than one hundred relatives of Awami
League leaders.
It took Rajuk about 18 months to pick the 301 individuals out of
13,000 applicants. According to Rajuk official sources, the
selection of these 'lucky individuals' took place in several mock
phases. The whole process shows how a few people who have access
to the corridors of power are always pampered and get the upper
hand over others.
Former minister for housing and public works' Mohammad Nasim had
first prepared a list which contained names of his choice. But
when, Engineer Mosharraf Hossain took over the ministry in March,
he scrapped Nasim's list and drew one of his own.
The lucky ones
Who are those lucky ones that got plots? In a most blatant way,
Minister for Housing and Public Works' Engineer Mosharraf Hossain
did not deprive himself from owning a plot. His motto must have
been that when you distribute something, start it with yourself.
Others in the cabinet who got plots are: Forest and Environment
Minister Begum Sajeda Chowdhury, Minister for Chittagong Hill
Tracts Affairs' Kalpa Ranjan Chakma, State Minister for Health
Prof M Amanullah, State Minister for Religious Affairs' Moulana
Nurul Islam, State Minister for Education Satish Chandra Roy,
State Minister for Textiles AKM Jahangir Hossain, Deputy Minister
for Education Zinnatunnesa Talukder, and Deputy Minister for
Industries Hasibur Rahman Swapan.
Communication Minister Anwar Hossain Manju's daughter Monija
Rahman also got a piece of Rajuk land.
Officials of the prime minister's office (PMO) and their relatives
who got plots are: Fahima Khatun, wife of PM's private secretary (2)
Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury; APS A F M Bahauddin and Md Ibrahim
Hossain Khan; PM's personal assistant Manu Majumder; PM's protocol
officer Alauddin Ahmed Chowdhury; Nargis Begum, wife of former DPS
Abu Alam Md Shahid Khan; Sowad Khan, son of PM's press secretary
Jawadul Karim; and Sultana Nargis, wife of PM's political adviser
Dr SA Malek.
Other officials who also got plots are: Md Nuruzzaman Bhuiyan,
private secretary to LGRD Minister Zillur Rahman; Mostafizur Rahman,
public relations' officer of works' ministry; Md Rehanul Islam, APS
to Home Minister Mohammad Nasim; Kamal Abu Nasser Chowdhury, PS to
Environment Minister Sajeda Chowdhury; Md Yakub Ali Patwari, PS to
former home minister.
Of the 66 MPs who got plots, only two, Ziaul Haque Zia and
Nazimuddin Alam, belong to BNP. Golam Faruq Ovi of JP and Kazi
Shamsur Rahman of Jamaat are also among the lucky winners. The
rest of the MPs belong to AL.
Awami League leaders who got plots, include: Md Kamruzzaman and
Abdul Jalil, members of AL presidium, Nurul Majid Humayun,
president of Jubo League, Siddiqur Rouf Khan, central assistant
office secretary of AL, Lutful Hye Sachhu, an AL leader of
Brahmanbaria, Zafar Ahmed Chowdhury and Ataur Rahman Khan Kaiser
of Chittagong, Ferdous Zaman Mukul of Bogra, Nurul Islam Thandu
and Mahbub Zaman Bhulu of Rajshahi, Mosleuddin Khan of Manikganj,
Fulu Sarkar of Jubo League, Kazi Iqbal Hossain, general secretary
of Jubo League, Md Lutfar Rahman of Gaibandha, SM Mannan, Nurul
Amin of Awami Shechhashebak League, Mukul Bose, Dr Mostafa Jalal
Mohiuddin, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Prof Nazma Rahman, and Sheikh
Md Abdullah.
President of AL Laxmipur district AKM Shahjahan Kamal, president,
Manikganj district AL Golam Mohiuddin, president, Jhenaidah district
AL Ayub Hossain, president Gaibandha district AL Lutfur Rahman,
General secretary of Chittagong(South) district AL Mosleh Uddin,
Noakhali district president of AL Mohammad Hanif, Gopalganj district
AL president Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and former general secretary
of Satkhira district AL Monsur Ahmed also got plots.
More allottees include Goplaganj AL leader Akram Uddin Ahmed,
general secretary of Awami Jubo League city unit (North) Sardar
Belayetur Hossain Mukul, former Chhatra League leaders Dr Mosaddek
Hossain, Kazi Mizanur Rahman Minto, Abdur Razzak and Mahfuza
Chowdhury, wife of former Chhatra League leader Ismat Quadir Gama.
Former Chhatra League leaders who got plots are: Asim Kumar Ukil,
SM Kamal Hossain, Shafi Ahmed, Md Shah Alam, Jahangir Sattar Tinku,
AKM Manjurul Huque Lablu and Kamruzzaman Ansari. Most of them got
plots in the businessmen quota.
Relatives of ministers, AL MPs and leaders who got plots include:
Feroza Begum, an aunt of the PM; Md Syed, son of DCC Mayor Md Hanif;
Hena Serniabat, Sadik Abdullah and Kanta Abdullah, sister, son and
daughter of chief whip Abul Hasnat Abdullah; Golam Abu Yusuf Surya,
cousin of Home Minister Md Nasim; Dr Khaled Shawkat Ali, son of
Col(retd) Shawkat Ali, MP; Khaleda Akhtar Banu, wife of Prof Abdul
Mannan, MP; Dilruba Rahman, wife of Mizanur Rahman Manu, MP; Shahad
Ara Mannan, wife of AL publicity secretary Abdul Mannan; Advocate
Shaila Ferdous, wife of assistant publicity secretary Nurul Fazal
Bulbul and Sabita Nath, mother of former BCL leader Pankaj Nath.
Central leader of Awami Jubo League Jahangir Kabir Nanak got a plot
from the journalist quota.
Violation of rules
It was alleged that the rules were violated in giving allotment of
the plots and making the category list of the applicants. There was
also no time limit for the applicants to raise disputes.
A RAJUK official said that the rules were violated in preparing list
of the applicants. As per rules, applicants from the government
employee category, are categorized considering their age, service
tenure and income. Moreover, a primary list of the allotees have to
be published in the national newspapers before the final list is
prepared. "The final list is published after a investigation into
objections or complaints regarding the allotment within six weeks of
the publication of the primary list," the source said.
Another source said that the list was prepared by the ministry of
public works. RAJUK also did not hold any meeting as per rules
regarding the allotment. "The list of allotees was later approved
by RAJUK only to conform to the rules," the source said.
It was alleged that a number of senior RAJUK officials were involved
in the entire procedure of the allotment.
The process starts
RAJUK invited application through newspaper advertisements in
October, 1997, for allocation of plots in Gulshan, Banani and
Uttara areas. Deposit money with the application for Gulshan-
Banani plots were fixed at taka three lakh and that of Uttara
at taka 50 thousand. A total of 13 thousand applications were
preliminarily selected after scrutiny from some 34 thousand
applications.
A RAJUK board meeting prior to the publication of the allotment
list in a Bangla daily newspaper on Thursday, also observed that
RAJUK would now have to bear all the responsibility regarding
the matter although it had very little role.
Is another lake filling in the offing?
Meanwhile, allotment of 59 plots in Gulshan-Banani areas sparked
concern among people that the nearby lake would have to be filled
up because those plots do not exist at all. Of the 301 plots
allotted, 59 are in Gulshan. Rajuk officials say that there is
no land from which these plots can be handed over unless the lake
area is filled or parks in the vicinity are converted into
residential plots. It may be recalled here that 35 plots allotted
during BNP time are yet to be handed over as Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina put a ban on filling of low lying areas and lakes. Officials
wonder how land can be found for these people without breaking the
provisions of the Dhaka Master Plan.
A new list under process
Another RAJUK source said that the ministry of public works was
considering a proposal for preparing a new list of allotees in
Gulshan-Banani-Uttara to appease the resentment of the applicants
who did not get any plot this time. At least 2000 acres of land
would have to be acquired for the plan but RAJUK does not have
the required estimated amount of taka one thousand crore for this,
the source mentioned. Though RAJUK failed to hand over plots to
some 300 allotees in Baridhara J Block who got the allotment in
1996.
Sources said after the name of the allottees were announced on
Friday, several men belonging to Nasim's list went to Rajuk
chairman and had exchange of 'angry words' with him.
Multiple ownership?
As per Rajuk rule any one already owning a plot can not apply for
an additional one. Every applicant is therefore required to declare
in writing that he or she does not own any land or house. But sources
said most of the beneficiaries of this allotment are 'indirect
owners' of one or more houses in the capital. In one case involving
the son of a city leader of Awami League, he recently changed the
name of the ownership of his under-construction house at Banani to
his mother's name. It is reported that the house was being
constructed on land filled from the Gulshan lake.
The Minister for Forest and Environment, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury
was one of the lucky allottees of a Nikunja plot, the new Rajuk
announcement also contains her name as a beneficiary in Gulshan.
Officials said she has expressed her willingness to retain the
Gulshan plot instead of the one in Nikunja.
About Uttara, the sources said 'majority of the plots are already
out of Rajuk's hand as hundreds of court cases are now pending'.
Public outrage
Rajuk sources said since Friday, they were constantly being
'teased and sworn at' by people ringing them up.
Rajuk chairman said more plots would be allotted within the next
one month or so. When asked how the selection committee worked
out such a 'discriminatory' selection, the chairman replied,
"there were more applications from the Awami League than anywhere
else."
He quoted the existing law and said the law did not have any
provision for lottery system in selecting the allottees. "The
law says that genuine and deserving people would be given plots,"
he said.
Many Rajuk officials expressed their dismay over the "politicising"
of the allotment process and said there must be a judicial inquiry
committee to investigate how it was done.
Officials cited a similar practice was done in 1979 when 200 plots
were allotted by Rajuk to BNP leaders. They said in 1981 all those
allocations were cancelled after an inquiry committee revealed
gross irregularity in the process.
Promises broken?
Meanwhile, Karmachari Sangsad of Rajuk yesterday brought out a
procession chanting slogans against the Rajuk chairman. They claimed
that the chairman had given them assurance that they also would get
plots which they did not get. Agitated employees pounded on the door
of the chairman's office.
[Daily Star, July 14, 1999]
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ba...@my-deja.com
Storm brewing inside AL over plot scam: Who will be the scapegoat?
Star Report
A storm is brewing inside the ruling Awami League over the recent
plot scam that may come out in the open after Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina returns home from UK, according to sources.
A strong lobby is now active inside the ruling party to counter the
actions of Works' and Housing Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain
under whose directive Rajuk distributed 301 plots, mostly to party
people.
The backlash is likely to fall on the junior officers of the prime
minister's office against whom party leaders and bureaucrats are
becoming vocal. It is now widely believed that the scheme was designed
by those officials, who also got plots.
Even the ministers, MPs and AL leaders who got plots are now bitter
about the whole process because they have become controversial by the
flagrant display of nepotism by Rajuk and the ministry.
However, the housing minister is still confident about winning the
battle with his cabinet colleagues as he is said to enjoy strong
blessings of the prime minister.
Meanwhile, Rajuk is now stuck with the housing minister's promise of
providing 4000 more plots to applicants to stymie the dissent.
Rajuk officials are working hard to figure out how to find land to keep
the promise. The organisation is also lacking fund to develop more land.
According to sources, it will need about Tk 1000 crore to prepare 4000
plots. But Rajuk does not have any fund for land development. It has
already blocked Tk 300 crore in its Purbachal project at the outskirts
of Dhaka city.
"We have no money and land as well," said a high official of Rajuk.
"Even if we start looking for plots today, it will take minimum two
years before they can be offered to the public. The 4000 plot promise
is just a carrot to stop the current controversy."
But some say another scam is likely to happen when fresh plots, if any,
are allotted to appease the dissenting cabinet members and MPs.
"To bury one scam, another may be born," said an official.
Meanwhile, it has been known that the APS of PM's political adviser
Dr Malek, Rezaul Karim, has also received a Rajuk plot.
[Daily Star, July 15, 1999]
Mohammad Bari
Commentary
Bold and decisive move, but it must go further
By Mahfuz Anam
We congratulate Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her prompt
and judicious action in scrapping the Rajuk land allotment,
which would have greatly damaged the credibility and image
of her party. It is to her great credit that she understood the
tremendous damage that this action has done to her government,
her party and to her personal image and took precipitous action
to prevent further damage. Congratulations and thanks.
However, Sheikh Hasina must go further and dig deep as to how
this could happen. How could the Rajuk, the works ministry and
her own cabinet colleagues do such a thing and embarrass her in
such a way? Could it be just a coincidence or was it deliberate
that the decision was made during her absence. The Prime Minister
cannot ignore the fact that the Rajuk's award was published in only
ONE newspaper in clear violation of the norm to publish in at least
three Bangla and one English newspaper indicates deliberate action
to avoid public knowledge. In fact if Prothom Alo did not make a
report on the Rajuk advertisement in Banglar Bani the story might
just have been missed and the scam might have escaped the public
eye. Was that the intention? We are forced to think yes.
The Rajuk's plot allotment case was so fundamentally flawed, so
full of irregularities, so thoroughly devoid of ethics and norms, so
blatantly partisan that the members of the public became outraged
and totally disillusioned by the absolute lack of morality that this
action exemplified. In the last few days since its surreptitious
announcement in the paper owned by a ruling party MP a storm
of anger and frustration swept through the public which had all
but destroyed the credibility of the government. It stood out as the
most blatant and shameless use of governmental power to serve
selfish and partisan interest.
A disturbing element of this land scam is that there is ample
evidence to suggest that the list was prepared by a coterie located
in the Prime Minister's office with the active connivance of the
works minister himself, who did not hesitate to serve himself first,
and had the temerity to say that "I got the plot as a freedom fighter
and not as a minister", as if there was no worthier and deserving
freedom fighter eligible for it. Imagine what is likely to be the
image of this government if all other ministers- like the works
minister - started serving themselves first on the plea that they are
freedom fighters. Didn't the works minister realise that holding a
public office is like holding a public trust? Doesn't he know that a
minimum adherence to ethical norms forbids a minister to pass an
order that makes himself a beneficiary? He has humiliated the high
office he holds and brought disrepute to the cabinet as a whole. If
this be the level of his judgement and the standard of his ethics then
can he ever expect to enjoy public confidence about his actions?
The role of this coterie and that of the minister along with a few
officials in the works' ministry and Rajuk had created what could
have become the biggest scandal of Sheikh Hasina's government.
Before the Prime Minister returned and scrapped the Rajuk
decision yesterday the most prominent question in the public
mind was whether or not the sole purpose of this government
was to serve its members and supporters instead of the public?
Here again a quote of the works' minister sounded ominous.
When asked by the Prothom Alo correspondent about making
a "Awami League Palli (village)" by allotting two thirds of the
plots to party people he replied "I see nothing wrong in it. As
Awami League is a party of the people so an Awami Palli will
be a people's village."
To our great relief and happiness Sheikh Hasina did what we
had expected of her. However she must now follow through
on her excellent first move and take the following actions:
1. Institute a judicial inquiry as to how this list was made and
on what basis people were selected and also to set up a clear
and transparent policy guideline for future actions of Rajuk;
2. Herself investigate as to what role was played by the works'
minister and the officials involved in it;
3. Hold a special inquiry as to the activities of a small number
of relatively junior officials at the Prime Minister's office,
especially those who stood to benefit from this scam.
We consider the above actions to be the minimum she needs
to do to restore some semblance of public confidence in her
government, which she will be wise to believe, had been
greatly affected by this whole sordid episode. The Prime
Minister must recall Bangabandhu's own statement in which
he said in mid '74 "whichever way I look I see myself
surrounded by chattar dal (self servers)". Today we think a
new "chattar dal" is surrounding you.
These people have no interest other than their own in mind.
When they support you, it is not either for you, your party
and the ideals you propagate. They support you only to get
their own interest served. At the end THEY get the BENEFIT
(in this case it would have been the plots) and YOU get the
BLAME. Recall today how many people benefited from
Bangabandhu's generosity and affection and got their personal
ambitions fulfilled. Today when people talk about the mistakes
of that era they blame Bangabandhu (please don't confuse
these critics with his killers and their supporters. If you do,
then you will be shutting out experiences from the past that
you desperately need today to know your friends and enemies
better). But those who took advantage of AL rule at that time
and were actually responsible for all the misdeeds have
remained unscathed.
Those who have used your government's power, abused the
trust you bestowed on them by appointing them in the cabinet
and the PMO, and violated laws, norms and established
practices ONLY to SERVE THEMSELVES cannot, by any
stretch of imagination be your friend or fellow road traveller.
By seeing what they are capable of doing sitting so close to
you, you should be able to imagine what is going on in places,
which are far away and not under your direct supervision.
Bangabandhu's name is being used for ends and purposes that,
in our view and hopefully your's, constitute the greatest insult
that can be inflicted on that great man. Clean your office, your
government and your party, not as a favour to those who wish
you well but to ensure that you realise the dreams of
Bangabandhu. The attempted Rajuk land scam should leave no
doubt in your mind as to how your government's and your
party's power is being used for self-serving ends. You, as the
astute politician that you are, should know the consequences
of it all.
[Daily Star, July 16, 1999]
Allotment of all 301 Rajuk plots cancelled: Hasina
By Staff Correspondent
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday announced cancellation
of Rajuk's recent allotment of 301 residential plots in Gulshan,
Baridhara and Uttara.
She made the announcement at a crowded press conference at the
Ganabhaban on her return from UK after a nine-day visit.
When asked if she was aware of the controversy centring the
allotment of plots, the prime minister replied, "I am fully aware.
The list of all plots stands cancelled."
She said "I do not think there has been any irregularities in the
allotment process. But since there has been press criticism and
disputes on the issue, I have decided to cancel the list. "
Hasina also said journalists should investigate how Rajuk plots
were allotted under the past regimes of Zia, Ershad and Begum
Zia.
"Inquiry should also be made as to how many journalists got
Rajuk plots and how much money was received by them from
Ershad government for construction of buildings."
Asked if any inquiry would be made into the allotment of
residential plots which were mostly given to her partymen,
she replied, "Since the allotment has been cancelled, there
is no need for investigation."
The prime minister said that in the past, plots had been allotted
by different governments indiscriminately and illegally since
1957. All the regimes had committed irregularities in allotting
plots to their partymen and relatives.
She mentioned that late Kafiluddin Chowdhury <father of the
present Deputy Leader of the Opposition Badruddoza
Chowdhury> as a minister in those days had managed allotment
of many plots to his near relatives and said an investigation into
this would unveil the nepotism.
Responding to a question if her government would investigate
irregularities in plot allotment under the past governments,
Hasina said, "It should be done." But she apprehended that
most of the documents concerned might have been destroyed
by this time.
When asked if the allotment of plots under past governments in
violation of rules could be cancelled, she said "That is not
possible now. But their names can be revealed."
[Daily Star, July 16, 1999]