Over 1000 firms operate sans REHAB membership

More than 1000 housing companies are operating in the country defying a government's directive, which has made REHAB membership mandatory for running business, industry insiders said.
The ministry of commerce on May 21 last year issued an order, asking all real estate companies to take the membership of the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB), ministry officials said.
In the last one year, especially after the government's directive, some 98 housing companies become the members of the REHAB while about 25 more are in the process of being the members of the trade body, according to the association.
A total of 1,060 companies are currently registered with the sector's trade body and there are still 1,200 to 1,300 more realtors who don't have REHAB membership, its officials said.
Industry people alleged that non-members often cheat the clients causing losses to the real companies.
When asked, REHAB vice-president Liakat Ali Bhuiyan said that the non-members often do not comply with the related laws and construct buildings without properly maintaining the safety issues.
"But customers believe that any developer company is a member of the REHAB and in case of any wrongdoing they (customers) are being cheated," he said.
If they become members of the association, they would not be able to do any wrong as they have to comply with some criteria of the association, he said, adding that REHAB is encouraging the non-members to be registered with the trade body.
The trade body recently sent letters to a good number of non-members requesting them to be members, according to its officials.
They can't go for tough action against the errant firms who are not members of association, they added.
The Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) in its recent survey on 'Labour Situation-2017' revealed that a total of 134 people including three women died in workplace accidents in the construction sector last year, which is second-highest after the transport sector, where 307 people died. BILS executive director Sultan Uddin Ahmed said it would help bring discipline and ensure safety in the housing sector if all the operating companies come under one umbrella.
Clients can lodge complains with the trade body if there is any while workers can also ask for compensation in case of any workplace accidents, he added.
He, however, said the government should increase its vigilance to bring the non-member firms under regulations.

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