Tk 2b property illegally handed over to private builders?

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The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has initially unearthed major corruption and irregularities where government property worth Tk 2.0 billion (200 crore) might have been illegally handed over to two private organisations, reports UNB.
ACC Director General (Admin) Col Hanif Iqbal told the Commission's regular briefing Thursday that a special team constituted to look into graft in the Land Ministry has found out the irregularities involving Basundhara Housing and Borak Builders.
He said the special ACC team that started work on September 15 is now investigating the two cases of irregularities-one involving exchange of government khas land with Basundhara Housing and the other relating to construction of a multi-storied building by Borak Builders on the government land leased to Red Crescent Society.
According to the special team, a file is under process in the Land Ministry relating to exchange of 80.29 acre nonagricultural government khas land in seven mouzas under Gulshan thana with 85 acre land bought by Basundhara in three mouzas of Dhaka's Keraniganj Upazila.
During the process of the file, Basundhara Housing illegally carried out earth filling on the 80.29 acre khas land, sold out plots and handed those over to different individuals and organisations.
Due to such action, it is primarily estimated that government property worth Tk 1.0 billion can go out of hand.
The ACC team is now engaged in writing letters to different government offices to examine the matter thoroughly.
About construction of a multi-storied building by Borak Builders on the government land leased to Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS), the ACC team found out that in 1979, then deputy commissioner of Dhaka at the directive of the Land Ministry leased 0.82 acre of land to the BDRCS for 30 years in Kakrail mouza, the prime zone in the capital.
In 2001, the BDRCS applied for permanent allocation for constructing a multi-storied building on that land. But in 2004 the Land Ministry turned down the application and cancelled the lease.
Later, ignoring the Land Ministry, BDRCS applied again to Dhaka deputy commissioner for permanent allocation of the piece of land. Then deputy commissioner Abdus Sattar gave the permission for constructing an 18-storied building. The DC allegedly had done this through abuse of power without informing the Land Ministry.
Following the permanent allocation, BDRCS signed an 'unequal' agreement with Borak Builders -- 75 per cent for Borak and 25 per cent for BDRCS in the project. In light of the agreement, Borak constructed a 20-storied building on the government land though Rajuk had approved construction of a 14-storied building including basements.
As a result, government property worth about Tk 1.0 billion has been handed over to a private organisation, Col Hanif said, adding that the matter is being examined thoroughly with due importance.
Replying to a question, he said the primary inquiries on the two matters are on and it would be known upon completion of the inquiries who are the individuals and what are the wrongdoings involved. "Legal action will be taken against those involved."
Asked about ACC's earlier decision not to take many land-related complaints into consideration on grounds that those were outside their schedules, Hanif said that in the two cases, the Commission is working as loss of the state is involved. "These are offences under ACC schedule. ACC does not work if the crimes are not under its schedule."
About taking action against the so-called land grabbers, he said the ACC in no way could ignore those who are involved with the loss of the state.
About land-related complaints from members of the public, Hanif said that mere lodging of complaints is not enough, there should be prima facie evidence for the ACC to work on.