Letter sent to former state minister to vacate minister's bungalow

Despite not getting berth in the cabinet, former state minister for labour and employment Monnujan Sufian is still living in the official residence allocated for ministers.

The government's housing department has issued yet another letter on 21 March with a deadline to vacate the bungalow by 30 March.

After the 11th Jatiya Sangsad election held in 2018, the member of parliament elected from Khulna-3, Monnujan Sufian, was made state minister for labour and employment.

As state minister she was allocated an official residence, bungalow 6,  on Hare Road, known as 'mantripara' or the ministers' locale.

After the 12th Jatiya Sangsad (national parliament) election (held on 7 January), the new cabinet was sworn in on 11 January. Monnujan Sufian was not included in the cabinet. She didn't even get Awami League's nomination in the election. However, she became an Awami League member of parliament, nominated from the reserved seats for women. She is still living in the official residence.

The government's housing department on 24 January cancelled the bungalow's allocation to Monnujan Sufian. She was informed of the matter by letter and asked to vacate the residence. The bungalow has been allocated to land minister Narayan Chandra Chanda.

As Monnujan Sufian didn't vacate the house, another letter was sent to her on 21 March.

Speaking to Prothom Alo over mobile phone yesterday, Monday, Monnujan Sufian said she had received the letter to leave the house by 30 March. She doesn't want to forcefully stay on.

This former state minister said it is a difficult task in the month of Ramadan to move such a huge load of goods to another location and so she will vacate the bungalow after Eid-ul-Fitr. She will inform the housing department of the matter.

Ministers and state ministers make an effort to get allocation for official residences in this locale. The two-storey houses are very attractive, with flower gardens and expansive lawns. The roads are wide and the area is safe too.

A total of 15 former ministers and 13 state ministers have been dropped from the new cabinet. Almost all of them have vacated the official residences. Former planning minister MA Mannan would live in the house next door to Monnujan Sufian. He was not included in the new cabinet and he left the residence.

Public Works Ministry sources said that as it was becoming difficult to get allocation of bungalows, land minister Narayan Chandra Chanda had contacted the ministry several times.

However, he is not being able to move into the premises as Monnujan Sufian hasn't moved out as yet.

In the letter issued to Monnujan Sufian on 21 March, the government housing department said that there was need to carry out repairs and renovation before handing over the house to the land minister. This work is considerably time consuming. It is necessary to shut down the water, gas and power connections of the house during the renovation.

Awami League's publicity and publications secretary Abdus Sobhan Miah Golap had been residing in an official bungalow on Minto Road for six years even though he held no government post. On 1 February Prothom Alo ran a report, "Golap still resides in minister's quarters". On 15 February the public works department cancelled the allocation in his name.

After becoming minister for social welfare, Nuruzzaman Ahmed was allocated a 5000ft apartment in the Ministers' Apartments in Bailey Road in the capital. Other than that, he also occupied another official residence of the same size. Over the past five years, he lived in one of the residences and his relatives lived in the other.

This was reported on 21 January in Prothom Alo under the heading  'Former social welfare minister occupies two govt houses', after which he vacated the two houses.