Editorial
Realtors into land grabbing!
Mere accusations are not enough
WE appreciate the candid manner in which the Minister for Housing has laid bare the nefarious practice of grabbing private and public lands by some real estate owners and land developers, at a meeting with the office bearers of REHAB and BLDA. The issue has become a sore point for both the government as well as the public. He has hit the nail on the head but he should not stop here.
Needless to say, the housing construction sector has taken the form of an industry that has not only catered to the housing needs of many but also employs a very large number of people of various categories, not to mention the fact that nearly 2 million people are dependent on the industry. Unfortunately, there is little by way of control mechanism that a sector such as this should be subject to. And if only the government and the housing companies could harmonise their activities the benefit to the people would be much more than what it has been, apart from the fact that many of the concerns expressed by the minister at the meeting would have been addressed including the housing needs of the lower income group.
The result is in large part the unplanned construction of buildings without conforming to the laid down criteria. The ecology and environment and the public at large are suffering the consequences.
The motivation to make a quick buck, building on encumbered property and other shortcut methods, have caused, and are still causing, distress to many buyers of modest means who have sunk all their life's saving into buying a flat. This the minister has also expressed very frankly. And there are reasons enough to conclude that in this dubious act the housing and real estate owners and land developers are not alone. There is nexus between the relevant agencies of the government and the realtors. Had it not been so, the low lying areas which are really the catchments of Dhaka city, would have been spared the clutch of these people.
We therefore feel that merely ousting the land grabbers from the associations of the builders and land developers is not enough. The minister should go further than merely pointing out the defaults and initiate actions against the defaulters and make examples out of them. Furthermore, a national housing policy should be formulated and the 2004 land development rules should be updated to meet the requirements of the time. There is also the need to make arrangements for quick remedy of the grievances of the buyers who have fallen foul of the housing companies and land developers.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments