Body formed to investigate low-cost flat allocations to secretaries on govt land

The road transport and bridges ministry has formed a three-member committee to investigate the allocation of low-cost flats to secretaries and other government officials on government land.

Ehsanul Haque, Senior Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division, will lead the committee.

The other two members are the secretaries of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

The order to form the investigation committee was issued today, Sunday.

The decision follows a report published in Prothom Alo on 14 June titled “Secretaries acquired flats on govt land at low cost.” According to the order, the investigation committee was formed in response to that report. The committee has been instructed to submit its report within 15 working days.

According to sources in the road transport and bridges ministry, in addition to forming the investigation committee, the ministry's adviser, Fouzul Kabir Khan, has instructed the Bridges Division to suspend construction and handover works of the flat project.

The adviser has also directed that the individuals who were allocated flats be informed of the government’s steps. Furthermore, the Bridges Division has been asked to submit a report within three working days regarding the allocation of flats to secretaries and other officials.

Fouzul Kabir Khan told Prothom Alo, “Further action will be taken once the internal report from the Bridges Division and the full report of the investigation committee are received.”

The purview of the committee’s work was outlined in the order. It states that the committee will investigate the process, criteria, and individuals under whose names the flats were allocated. It will determine whether any irregularities took place and identify those responsible.

The committee will also verify whether those who received flats had previously received land or flats from Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakka (RAJUK) or the National Housing Authority. The Bangladesh Bridge Authority will provide all necessary information and support to the committee.

Out of the 40 acres of land acquired under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for the Dhaka Elevated Expressway project to rehabilitate affected people, 1.15 acres were used to construct four buildings for bureaucrats and staff. Three of these buildings, containing 168 flats, are for secretaries and senior bureaucrats. So far, 140 flats have already been allocated. The remaining flats are reportedly reserved for future allocation to secretaries and officials, according to sources in the Bridges Division. One of the four buildings, containing 112 flats, has been reserved for staff of the Bridge Authority.

The flats are being constructed in Uttara Model Town (Phase 3), known as Diabari. Over time, secretaries who were board members of the Bridge Authority have received flats there. Influential bureaucrats from the previous Awami League government have also acquired flats. In total, 32 secretaries and officials with equivalent rank have received flats. Of them, four are currently in service, two have been contractually appointed to the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on behalf of the government after retirement, and the rest are retired. In addition to secretaries, additional secretaries, joint secretaries, deputy secretaries, and officials of other ranks have also received flats.

Close associates of former Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, including his personal staff, also received flats at extremely low prices. Some of the secretaries who acquired these flats also already own RAJUK plots. Holding public office, they received both land and flats in Dhaka.

The Dhaka Elevated Expressway project was initiated in 2010 to build an elevated highway from the airport to Kutubkhali in Jatrabari. The project is still not completed.