Staff Correspondent

Dhaka district administration has recovered government land worth Tk 650 crore in Burirtek area of Mirpur in the capital.

For a long time, this government land was being bought and sold illegally in the name of some illegal occupiers - Alinagar Housing, Haveli Properties, Khatun Properties, the administration sources said.

However, Haveli Property Development Limited claimed that the eviction drive was carried out in their Alinagar Project adjacent to DOHS in Baunia Mauza under Pallabi police station, without heeding the court order and without notice.

On Tuesday (April 9), Dhaka Deputy Commissioner's Office Senior Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate Amit Kumar Saha and Mirpur Revenue Circle Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Arnab Malakar conducted the drive .

Dhaka Deputy Commissioner Anisur Rahman directed the operation and Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Md. Shibli Sadiq supervised it. A large number of members of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police were engaged during the eviction.

Dhaka DC office said that this property was acquired in LA case No 05/72-73 and in favour of the National Housing Authority on a case-by-case basis. As the National Housing Authority kept this property unused for a long time, the then Dhaka Deputy Commissioner took over this property in 2009. In view of this, the gazette of readmission was published in 2015.

According to the published gazette notification, the land reclaimed in C.S. 3101, 3102, 3103, 3104, 3105, 3106, 3107, 3121 and 3123 of Baunia Mauza under the former Mirpur (now Pallabi) thana is 10.18 acres.

As per gazette notification the record has been corrected by including the reclaimed land in Khas Khatian. Out of which all illegal structures have been removed from about 6 acres of land today. The reclaimed land has been put up with government signage and fenced off with barbed wire. In the remaining land, the eviction process will continue in a phased manner.

Meanwhile, the Haveli Property Development authority said that the company has purchased privately owned land and made the project. All valid documents including CS, RS, SA, Metropolitan Survey and Rent Waiver are in the name of those from whom the land is purchased. After buying the land, the company waived the rent in its own name. After that, the company sold plots to important people including retired military and civil officers, businessmen.

As per rules, the plot buyers get the name and rent rejected in their own name. Construction of some of the plot buyers is in progress.

In this situation, the sudden eviction drive of the district administration there has raised many questions. For mysterious reasons, the Dhaka district administration stopped waiving the new rent in this project 6-7 months ago. The Deputy Commissioner verbally informed the project authority about the matter. However, the district administration has not given any letter in this regard.

Haveli Property Development Company has written to the High Court seeking redressal of the matter. The court said in the order that the project fee cannot be waived, mutation, registration and construction and development of the building can be obstructed or eviction. The court also directed the Dhaka district administration to issue clearance in the name of the plot owners.

Later, the company submitted the necessary documents to the ministry along with the order and instructions of the court. In this regard, the ministry directed the Deputy Commissioner to conduct an on-the-spot inspection and give a report. The district administration, without taking the initiative to give that report, carried out an eviction operation mysteriously during the Eid holidays and demolished various structures including the project wall.

Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Anisur Rahman visited the spot after the rescue operation on Tuesday.

At this time, he said, this land will be used for various activities for public welfare and the activities. Dhaka district administration will continue to recover the government property.