Corruption shakes city foundation

The government approved DUIIP in 1989 under which a total of 4,500 commercial, industrial and residential plots were allotted to lower and middle class people on 100 acres of land in the city's Mirpur area by 1993.

Sources in the DUIIP and NHA said dishonest officials of the project have allotted a large number of plots through forgery of documents and bribery.

They alleged that Abdur Rouf, the property/financial manager of DUIIP, amassed huge amount of money by allotting plots through forged documents and favoured persons who bribed him. Rouf, however, denied the allegation.

They said two commercial plots at road number 2/1, Block Ka and Kha under section 6 in Mirpur were allotted to Rouf's father-in-law Abdul Aziz. Later, Aziz donated the land to his daughter Taslima, wife of Rouf. When asked, Rouf admitted the fact.

The sources alleged that Rouf had tried to manage registration of plot number 58 at Block B under section 12 through forgery. One Mahtab Uddin got allotment of the plot but Rouf tried to allot the plot to another person changing the photograph.

This was discussed in the NHA meeting on April 29 but no action has been taken.

Asked about the changing of photographs, Abdur Rouf said he was not involved in such activities. "Some unscrupulous persons tried to do that. Those who are making allegations against me are themselves corrupt."

In the wake of corruption and irregularities in the project, the NHA asked the project officials to bring all the DUIIP documents to the headquarters on April 10 but the order was cancelled on April 24 for mysterious reasons.

Sources said the corrupt officials played a key role in cancellation of the order.

Shafiul Alam, the then chairman of NHA who was recently transferred to Rajshahi, said he had asked for the DUIIP documents after receiving lots of complaints about project management. "I wanted to make the project corruption-free," he said.

Shafiul gave charge to Badiul Alam, member, NHA, for shifting those documents to NHA headquarters but later Badiul informed him that the shifting would be troublesome.

"After getting Badiul's report, I cancelled the previous order," he said. In the report Badiul pointed out lack of space at the headquarters as the key problem.

Recently, as a part of urban infrastructure development, the DUIIP authority chopped down as many as 1,700 trees in a green space at block H in Mirpur for constructing a market. The space was used as children's playground.

Local people has been protesting the so-called urban improvement under the project for more than 12 years and continuing legal battle against the government decision regarding the space which was shown as a green space in the 1961 master plan.

Under the project, the authority also took decision to construct 38 shops there. Two advisors of the interim government recently intervened in the matter and stopped the construction work but no decision was made over the park or the 38 allotments.