The residents of New Colony in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur have been living in constant fear of getting evicted from their home of more than half a century.
A few years ago, state housing authorities planned to demolish the seven old three-storey buildings in the colony – where a total of 114 families have been living in as many number of flats for decades, some from even before independence – and build high-rise apartment buildings for government employees.
The authorities gave these families allotment papers along with assurances that they would be properly rehabilitated.
But these families have not been convinced with the allotment and the assurance, saying the papers they were given did mention which flats they would get but did not specify the location of the new buildings.
The residents alleged that a local ruling party strongman Rabbi has been trying to evict them using his associates Masud Bari, Jony, Babu and some others.
“Local ruling party leaders have clear financial interests. If they can evict us, they can get the contract from the government for demolishing the buildings. I have heard that the rate for the job of demolishing each of the buildings is Tk90,000,” said a dweller of the colony seeking anonymity.
“Moreover, they are also looking to get a handsome share of the construction work if the government starts building new high-rise apartment complexes after demolishing these old buildings,” the resident said.
Last week, Bari, along with a gang of 15-20 people, launched an attack on the colony in order to create terror in the area so that the residents leave.
But the process of threatening the residents has begun long ago. At least 36 of the families have shifted elsewhere out of fear. Interestingly, although these 36 families have removed all their furniture and belongings from the colony flats, they have not handed over the keys.
After they started getting threats from the local strongmen, the residents moved the High Court and got a stay order on any government drive to evict them.
On January 9, a magistrate-led team from the Housing and Public Works Ministry came to demolish the old buildings but after the locals showed them the High Court stay order, they went back.
Bari’s men launched the attack on the colony after that. It was also alleged that alongside vandalising properties, the attackers also harassed women in the area.
Several residents of the colony alleged that the local police station did not file a case when they went there after the attack.
When contacted, OC of the Mohammadpur police station Jamal Uddin Meer said: “Some people from the colony tried to stop Housing Ministry officials, who went there to demolish the buildings. There are allegations that a scuffle ensued between the two parties. One of the two parties came to file a case against the other. We have sought some time to investigate. Then we will take a case if the allegations are valid.”
A female resident of the colony told the Dhaka Tribune: “My husband and his parents died here. We have been living here for 53 years. Now we will have to go. But where will we go? We do not have anything. Ministers and MPs have promised that we would not be evicted without rehabilitation. But things are looking the opposite. My husband was a freedom fighter. Many families of the Liberation War martyrs live here. Where will everyone go?”
The residents also claimed that they were supposed to automatically become the owners of the colony flats after living there for 30 years. But, that never happened.
They said, in 1995 the price of these colony flats were fixed from Tk5.04 lakh to Tk7 lakh by the housing department. It was said at that time that the rent that they paid at that time and small premium on top of that would be considered monthly installment.
However, the allotment that they are now being given on Tk300 stamps says that the 800 sq-ft flats in the new apartment buildings would cost them around Tk4,000 per sq-ft. At that rate, each of the new flats would cost over Tk40 lakh.
The residents of the colony say that they cannot afford such high prices and demanded that they be given allotment at the 1995 price.
When contacted, SM Golam Kibria, senior information officer at the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, said: “We are following existing rules in giving allotment to the existing residents. Their demand for 1995 prices is illogical. They will have to purchase the new flats at the government-fixed rate. But we are making sure that the installment is easy.”
