People, RAJUK and property developers
Tuesday, 3 January 2012
One of the dreams of each and every one is to have a proper living accommodation, which he or she could call his or her own, during his or her lifetime. People thus buy apartments built by the builders according to their individual needs and financial capacities. Way back in the '50s and '60s, people used to live in private homes. But beginning in the late seventies, due to rising costs of living and growing pressures on land holdings over the past three decades or so, they turned to property developing companies which proved to be economically viable and cost-effective, both for the landowners and individual buyers of apartments.
All this also helped in the growth of a booming construction industry in the country. From a social standpoint, it ensured living quarters for people belonging to the middle-income groups. Not only that, many investment companies including private banks came forward with schemes of financial support, both for the real estate companies and intending buyers. This is how the property developing companies came into the scenario and today the real estate companies have turned out to be one of the largest economic sectors of the country, comparable to the readymade garments (RMG) sector.
Be that as it may, there are too many flaws that exist within the real estate sector at large. The shortcomings and the flaws can be attributed to a nexus among the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (RAJUK) or capital city development authority, Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) and the individual property developers. For several years now, the issues that gave rise to gross irregularities in the sector have been known to all the three parties, and also the concerned government authorities. Yet nobody paid any heed to the matter until the recent intervention by the High Court.
Let us now take a look at how people are suffering at the hands of the real estate developers year after year. This writer, having being a victim, took upon himself to discuss the issues with a number of others who have undergone similar experiences.
Many people have been victims of malpractices of a good number of unscrupulous builders. Despite the existence of legal contracts, they continue to cheat their customers in a big way. In most cases, a landowner or buyers of apartments discover their losses only after the transactions are concluded. Developers often do not stick to the design agreed upon in respect of construction and fixtures as well as materials to be used. When brought to the notice of the concerned developer, he would simply answer by saying that "sorry, nothing can be done now".
With regard to the use of fixtures and fittings of lower quality than that agreed upon, they would always insist that this is OK. As a landowner, this writer has undergone immense sufferings at the hands of the concerned real estate company. While the complex was handed over nearly three years after the expiry of the time as stipulated in the contract, a good part of the compensation by way of monthly rentals too has never been settled. A complex of 60 apartments does not have any fire-fighting equipment. The emergency exit stairs are too narrow, hardly two people can walk side by side; upon being pointed out about this, the project engineer would only say with a broad grin that nothing could be done now.
The saga of sufferings is unending. If one were to undertake an honest survey as to how the real estate developers are cheating their customers, with the exception of a few, one would discover that it is simply staggering. Many people even to this day continue to be held hostage at the hands of a good number of property developers. It is all the more shocking to see that despite a recent Building Code (revised) framed by the government, the builders continue to flout the provisions of the code at will. We might recall that in a recent study it was pointed out that some hundreds of buildings built by the developers are highly earthquake-prone and that an earthquake of moderate velocity would result in the collapse of the buildings, resulting in the deaths of thousands.
In recent times, we have seen a number of tragic incidents where faulty construction of apartment complexes led to the collapse of some of them while others developed cracks on the walls. Due to a number of such incidents, a large number of families have already been rendered homeless; several inmates died with many being pauperised overnight while there are those who continue to live in their respective apartments under virtual fear of death.
Amidst such a scenario, the High Court's intervention in weeding out unregistered and unscrupulous property developers has been more than welcome. But what is of grave concern for the victims is that the developers are still continuing with their vile acts. This, to our minds, tantamount to contempt of court both by RAJUK and the defaulting developers. RAJUK has finally made general diary (GD) entries against as many 56 housing projects belonging to a number of real estate companies. The chairman of RAJUK, though late in the day, has also kindly confirmed that the registration of as many as 21 real estate companies has been suspended and show cause notices have been served upon 36 unregistered companies.
A careful look into the manner and style in which the nexus between the RAJUK and the real estate developers works, will perhaps reveal some mafia-style operations. It is high time for the authorities concerned to seriously look into this matter and bring to justice both the corrupt officials of RAJUK and owners of the defaulting property developers.
One also comes across media reports almost on a daily basis as to how some property developers are also engaged in acquiring private and government 'khas' lands illegally and through coercive measures. On the other hand, it is a common knowledge that these developers have turned the capital city into a jungle of concrete and continue to systematically damage our environment.
It is our hope that this vital sector be cleansed of all evil elements once and for all, before this too, like many others, get fully polluted and criminalised.
The writer can be
reached at e-mail:
chowdhuryshamsher@yahoo.com
All this also helped in the growth of a booming construction industry in the country. From a social standpoint, it ensured living quarters for people belonging to the middle-income groups. Not only that, many investment companies including private banks came forward with schemes of financial support, both for the real estate companies and intending buyers. This is how the property developing companies came into the scenario and today the real estate companies have turned out to be one of the largest economic sectors of the country, comparable to the readymade garments (RMG) sector.
Be that as it may, there are too many flaws that exist within the real estate sector at large. The shortcomings and the flaws can be attributed to a nexus among the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (RAJUK) or capital city development authority, Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) and the individual property developers. For several years now, the issues that gave rise to gross irregularities in the sector have been known to all the three parties, and also the concerned government authorities. Yet nobody paid any heed to the matter until the recent intervention by the High Court.
Let us now take a look at how people are suffering at the hands of the real estate developers year after year. This writer, having being a victim, took upon himself to discuss the issues with a number of others who have undergone similar experiences.
Many people have been victims of malpractices of a good number of unscrupulous builders. Despite the existence of legal contracts, they continue to cheat their customers in a big way. In most cases, a landowner or buyers of apartments discover their losses only after the transactions are concluded. Developers often do not stick to the design agreed upon in respect of construction and fixtures as well as materials to be used. When brought to the notice of the concerned developer, he would simply answer by saying that "sorry, nothing can be done now".
With regard to the use of fixtures and fittings of lower quality than that agreed upon, they would always insist that this is OK. As a landowner, this writer has undergone immense sufferings at the hands of the concerned real estate company. While the complex was handed over nearly three years after the expiry of the time as stipulated in the contract, a good part of the compensation by way of monthly rentals too has never been settled. A complex of 60 apartments does not have any fire-fighting equipment. The emergency exit stairs are too narrow, hardly two people can walk side by side; upon being pointed out about this, the project engineer would only say with a broad grin that nothing could be done now.
The saga of sufferings is unending. If one were to undertake an honest survey as to how the real estate developers are cheating their customers, with the exception of a few, one would discover that it is simply staggering. Many people even to this day continue to be held hostage at the hands of a good number of property developers. It is all the more shocking to see that despite a recent Building Code (revised) framed by the government, the builders continue to flout the provisions of the code at will. We might recall that in a recent study it was pointed out that some hundreds of buildings built by the developers are highly earthquake-prone and that an earthquake of moderate velocity would result in the collapse of the buildings, resulting in the deaths of thousands.
In recent times, we have seen a number of tragic incidents where faulty construction of apartment complexes led to the collapse of some of them while others developed cracks on the walls. Due to a number of such incidents, a large number of families have already been rendered homeless; several inmates died with many being pauperised overnight while there are those who continue to live in their respective apartments under virtual fear of death.
Amidst such a scenario, the High Court's intervention in weeding out unregistered and unscrupulous property developers has been more than welcome. But what is of grave concern for the victims is that the developers are still continuing with their vile acts. This, to our minds, tantamount to contempt of court both by RAJUK and the defaulting developers. RAJUK has finally made general diary (GD) entries against as many 56 housing projects belonging to a number of real estate companies. The chairman of RAJUK, though late in the day, has also kindly confirmed that the registration of as many as 21 real estate companies has been suspended and show cause notices have been served upon 36 unregistered companies.
A careful look into the manner and style in which the nexus between the RAJUK and the real estate developers works, will perhaps reveal some mafia-style operations. It is high time for the authorities concerned to seriously look into this matter and bring to justice both the corrupt officials of RAJUK and owners of the defaulting property developers.
One also comes across media reports almost on a daily basis as to how some property developers are also engaged in acquiring private and government 'khas' lands illegally and through coercive measures. On the other hand, it is a common knowledge that these developers have turned the capital city into a jungle of concrete and continue to systematically damage our environment.
It is our hope that this vital sector be cleansed of all evil elements once and for all, before this too, like many others, get fully polluted and criminalised.
The writer can be
reached at e-mail:
chowdhuryshamsher@yahoo.com