All citizens enjoy right to housing
Saturday, 30 October 2010
THE army personnel had to withdraw from their reported housing project site at Rupganj of Narayangonj on October 23rd last following a demonstration by an unruly mob reportedly instigated by some vested quarters. Army initiated a housing project, namely Army Housing Scheme (AHS), adjacent to Rajuk’s Purbachal project at the beginning of this year.
Housing is a basic need and rights to property are fundamental rights as per Article 42 of our constitution. Accordingly, the self-finance housing project was initiated for service personnel and it also got the government’s nod. Thereby, planning was made to purchase agricultural land in the proposed project area in order to make it a world class satellite city with all civic amenities including roads, bridges, parks, markets, educational institutes, hospitals, community centres and other modern amenities. From then onward, the project was being implemented by a committee formed by Army Head Quarters (AHQ) following all the rules of the land. All members of the project have already paid a handsome amount of money to AHS authority. For such payment, many army personnel have already taken loan from the bank.
The process of purchasing land for the project from the local people at market price through negotiations had been underway since the beginning. The landowners were offered more than market price to sale their land. It is to be mentioned here that the price of per bigha land before army went to the project site was less than 1.0 million (10 lakh), but army has been paying Taka 1.7 million (17 lakh) for such land.
Over the last few months, some vested quarters became active to block the project in various ways and instigated an anti-army and anti-AHS sentiment among the locals. They prorogated the general people that army is going to capture the land by force or will acquire it. However, there were understandings between the landowners, local elites and the AHS authority on various issues related to land purchase. The project authorities have held several dialogues with the local people to remove confusions from their minds.
But defying the process, the vested interest groups initiated a protest rally last Saturday morning. An unruly people stormed into the AHS project office, ransacked it, attacked army members and tried to snatch away their arms. They put barricades on the roads by felling trees, setting spent tyres on fire at different places around the project site and finally were completely engaged in acts of violence in the area.
The angry mob attacked the nearby temporary army camps after army personnel called few villagers for a negotiated settlement on the issue. Rumours were spreaded out that few protesters were detained in the camp, which later proved to be false. The unruly people vandalized few vehicles during the demonstration. The demonstrators and law enforcers came to a face-off around the camps and soon plunged to a clash. Few army personnel were injured in mob attack. Even the agitated mob blocked the route by refusing to let the injured to the nearby hospital. The army personnel showed maximum patience in managing the situation. However, the injured people, both civil and military, were airlifted to CMH by helicopter afterwards.
Under such circumstances, the army authorities decided to withdraw all makeshift offices to facilitated negotiations with the locals. But the soldiers had been obstructed for few hours before they were also airlifted by helicopters. The angry mob descended upon the makeshift camp setup on the project site and torched it in the afternoon almost immediately after the army men left the place. They looted furniture and other items left behind by the army personnel including the tin-sheets of the camp house.
It is very clear that some vested quarters, who instigated the local people through spreading hostile and fearful rumours against the army and the Army Housing Project at Rupganj were completely responsible for incident on October 23 last.
The land purchase scheme of the project was being carried out totally with personal funds of servicemen and it has nothing to do with land acquisition. There are clear signs of conspiracy behind such unruly actions though the issues raised by the landowners were settled before two days of the incident through discussions with the AHS authority, landowners and local elites. There are also allegations of spending a large money for instigating the mob. The vested quarter must be involved with deliberate planning of such activities.
Earlier, the project Director assured the local MP that no land would be acquired and nobody would be evicted from the project area, when the MP came to the project director in the latter’s office. It was also appraised to the local MP by the project director that land would only be purchased from the actual owner and fair market price would be paid for that.
The army is the symbol of the independence and sovereignty of the country. Army personnel also have all the right to purchase land so that they can build their own house and stay there after their retirement. Moreover, they are not doing business with the land like the housing companies.
Now the issue should be settled through discussions with all concerned and for the sake of rule of law, appropriate legal actions must be taken against those who masterminded such violence. At the same time, the land purchase for army housing project should continue as per the prevailing laws of the land in order to implement the project in time as per the planning.
The writer is Coordinator, Media for Development.
E-mail: ferdous.rahmaan@gmail.com
Housing is a basic need and rights to property are fundamental rights as per Article 42 of our constitution. Accordingly, the self-finance housing project was initiated for service personnel and it also got the government’s nod. Thereby, planning was made to purchase agricultural land in the proposed project area in order to make it a world class satellite city with all civic amenities including roads, bridges, parks, markets, educational institutes, hospitals, community centres and other modern amenities. From then onward, the project was being implemented by a committee formed by Army Head Quarters (AHQ) following all the rules of the land. All members of the project have already paid a handsome amount of money to AHS authority. For such payment, many army personnel have already taken loan from the bank.
The process of purchasing land for the project from the local people at market price through negotiations had been underway since the beginning. The landowners were offered more than market price to sale their land. It is to be mentioned here that the price of per bigha land before army went to the project site was less than 1.0 million (10 lakh), but army has been paying Taka 1.7 million (17 lakh) for such land.
Over the last few months, some vested quarters became active to block the project in various ways and instigated an anti-army and anti-AHS sentiment among the locals. They prorogated the general people that army is going to capture the land by force or will acquire it. However, there were understandings between the landowners, local elites and the AHS authority on various issues related to land purchase. The project authorities have held several dialogues with the local people to remove confusions from their minds.
But defying the process, the vested interest groups initiated a protest rally last Saturday morning. An unruly people stormed into the AHS project office, ransacked it, attacked army members and tried to snatch away their arms. They put barricades on the roads by felling trees, setting spent tyres on fire at different places around the project site and finally were completely engaged in acts of violence in the area.
The angry mob attacked the nearby temporary army camps after army personnel called few villagers for a negotiated settlement on the issue. Rumours were spreaded out that few protesters were detained in the camp, which later proved to be false. The unruly people vandalized few vehicles during the demonstration. The demonstrators and law enforcers came to a face-off around the camps and soon plunged to a clash. Few army personnel were injured in mob attack. Even the agitated mob blocked the route by refusing to let the injured to the nearby hospital. The army personnel showed maximum patience in managing the situation. However, the injured people, both civil and military, were airlifted to CMH by helicopter afterwards.
Under such circumstances, the army authorities decided to withdraw all makeshift offices to facilitated negotiations with the locals. But the soldiers had been obstructed for few hours before they were also airlifted by helicopters. The angry mob descended upon the makeshift camp setup on the project site and torched it in the afternoon almost immediately after the army men left the place. They looted furniture and other items left behind by the army personnel including the tin-sheets of the camp house.
It is very clear that some vested quarters, who instigated the local people through spreading hostile and fearful rumours against the army and the Army Housing Project at Rupganj were completely responsible for incident on October 23 last.
The land purchase scheme of the project was being carried out totally with personal funds of servicemen and it has nothing to do with land acquisition. There are clear signs of conspiracy behind such unruly actions though the issues raised by the landowners were settled before two days of the incident through discussions with the AHS authority, landowners and local elites. There are also allegations of spending a large money for instigating the mob. The vested quarter must be involved with deliberate planning of such activities.
Earlier, the project Director assured the local MP that no land would be acquired and nobody would be evicted from the project area, when the MP came to the project director in the latter’s office. It was also appraised to the local MP by the project director that land would only be purchased from the actual owner and fair market price would be paid for that.
The army is the symbol of the independence and sovereignty of the country. Army personnel also have all the right to purchase land so that they can build their own house and stay there after their retirement. Moreover, they are not doing business with the land like the housing companies.
Now the issue should be settled through discussions with all concerned and for the sake of rule of law, appropriate legal actions must be taken against those who masterminded such violence. At the same time, the land purchase for army housing project should continue as per the prevailing laws of the land in order to implement the project in time as per the planning.
The writer is Coordinator, Media for Development.
E-mail: ferdous.rahmaan@gmail.com