Momen Foundation building constructed on donated land with govt fund

All lands around were parts of hillocks. The lands were listed as hillocks in the government records for decades, in fact, the lands were categorised as hillocks even during the last land survey. However, the categories were changed after a 20-decimal land near the hillocks was donated in the name of Selina Momen, wife of former foreign minister of the Awami League government, AK Abdul Momen.

The 786 decimals of land, which was under the category of “hillock” for 60 years, changed to the categories of “homestead” and “house” within 27 days.

The incident occurred in August 2021.

There are allegations that the land category was changed hastily, defying the law. As the move stirred controversies, the categories of those lands were changed to the category of “hillock” defying the law again two years later. However, several hillocks on that land were already cut by then.

Sylhet district unit of Bangladesh Mohila Awami League general secretary Helen Ahmed donated the land under the Barashala mouza. She is known to be very close to Selina Momen.

Helen Ahmed used her power to change the land category through a then zonal settlement officer while AK Abdul Momen was the foreign minister of the country. The government allocated a total of Tk 26 million for the construction of a building for the Momen Foundation in three instalments.

It has been learned that Helen Ahmed and her sons own 86 decimal of lands on daag no. 6406 in the Barashala mouza. The entire area was categorised as “hillock” on government records. On 17 August 2021, Helen donated a 20-decimal-land from there to Momen Foundation chairman Selina Momen. The market price of that land was shown as Tk 2,625,000 on documents. However, the locals say the actual market price of that land should be in between Tk 6-8 million.

The documents show, eight days after donating, Helen appealed to the settlement office to prepare a separate record of rights (khatian) for that land in the name of Selina Momen. At the same time, Helen applied for changing the categories of almost 162 decimals of lands in the same mouza to “homestead” and “house” from the categories of “hillock” and “hillock house”.

Analysing the document, it has been learned that the then zonal officer Obaidur Rahman ordered to change the land categories and create a “khatian” in the name of Selina Momen for the 20-decimal land on 13 September 2021 after the final hearing on the appeal.

There are allegations that as a result of the verdict given by the settlement officer, the categories of a total of 624 decimal of lands under another khatian were automatically changed. As such, categories of a total of 786 decimal of lands were changed.

Speaking to Prothom Alo regarding this, Obaidur Rahman said that according to the Tenancy Rules, 1955, he had the jurisdiction to change or make corrections to records and khatian. Helen’s appeals were taken into consideration on the basis of that rule. The matter was taken positively as the Momen Foundation was a social organisation.

However, Supreme Court senior lawyer Tobarak Hossain told Prothom Alo that according to Tenancy Rules, 1955, the settlement officer can change the name and address of the owner only if the officer finds proof of fraudulent activities after analysing the design, khatian and other necessary documents. But changing the category is beyond the jurisdiction of a settlement officer.

This correspondent tried to contact Selina Momen for their comments, but their phones were found switched off.

Speaking to Prothom Alo back in 2022, Helen said the land she donated was actually under the category of garden. Later, it was recorded under the hillock category mistakenly.

Asked whether she donated the land to change the categories of the land she owned nearby, Helen, “It’s like that. I donated lands for a madrasah in the same before too. Social service is a part of my work.”

Visiting the area, it was seen that the land that was donated by Helen was on a hillock and was surrounded by trees. There were traces of cutting down the hillocks there. There was not that much in places near the land. There was an unfinished building on the land donated for the Momen Foundation.

The Local Government Division allocated Tk 10 million for the construction of the building through the city corporation in the 2023-2024 fiscal. Before that, the Sylhet District Council was granted Tk 9 million and Tk 7 million in 2022-23 and 2021-22 fiscals respectively for the same purpose.

Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon’s (BAPA) Sylhet chapter general secretary Abdul Karim Chowdhury said, “Helen used the former foreign minister’s wife as a shield to change the categories of the lands she owned. Selina Momen couldn’t evade liabilities in this case.”

He pointed out that the categories of the lands were changed within an incredibly quick time mainly after donating the land in her name.

“Both changing and reinstating the categories of the land goes against the law of the country. People will refrain from doing such things only if the people involved in this case are brought to book,” he stated.

*This report appeared on the print and online versions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Ashish Basu