Bashundhara appears to be a state within a state

The government has decided to bring Bashundhara Residential Area under the control of Dhaka North City Corporation. This decision was made at the cabinet meeting on 7 May.

The Ministry of Housing and Public Works sources say that after bringing it under control, the city corporation will collect property taxes or holding taxes and provide citizen services.

Currently, Bashundhara Residential Area is controlled by the Bashundhara Group, which many view as a "state within a state. "

Prothom Alo has spoken to at least 15 landowners, flat owners, tenants, housing traders, land buyers, and intermediaries in the area.

They say Bashundhara Group, founded and chaired by Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, sets its own rules there.

When buying land from a private owner in the area, Bashundhara Group’s housing company charges an additional Tk 500,000 per katha. The loyal owners' association, the Bashundhara Welfare Society, collects service charges from flat owners.

Covering an area of about 3,500 acres, the group has its own security force in this area. The city corporation cannot collect property taxes from there.

The development of roads, cleanliness activities, and the control of public facilities such as playgrounds are not in the hands of the city corporation.

In 2016, during the regime of Awami League, which was ousted in the July uprising and its activities are now banned, a decision was made to bring this residential area under the control of the city corporation. Although the government did not implement it at that time, attempts were made during the interim government's period as well, but no strong steps were taken.

After assuming responsibility, the BNP government has initiated steps to bring Bashundhara Residential Area under the city corporation. The BNP government took oath on 17 February after winning the 13th National Parliamentary Election.

A high-level government source stated that in March, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman ordered the inclusion of the Bashundhara Residential Area into Dhaka North City Corporation. Subsequently, the Ministry of Housing and Public Works prepared a report and sent it to the cabinet division.

Finally, the proposal for this inclusion was passed at the cabinet meeting held at the Secretariat on 7 May. On 13 May, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman approved the related documents.

One of the agenda items at the cabinet meeting was a proposal to undertake necessary measures through the coordination of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and the Local Government Division to include the Bashundhara Residential Area into Dhaka North City Corporation.

The decision regarding this was recorded in the meeting proceedings: “All areas gazetted under Dhaka North and South City Corporation will have activities conducted by the city corporation, Dhaka WASA, the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), and other service-providing government and autonomous organisations according to their respective laws and regulations. ”

On 28 June 2016, a gazette was published including the mouzas of Beraid, Badda, Bhatara, and Satarkul unions under the Bashundhara Residential Project of East West Property Development Limited, a subsidiary of Bashundhara Group, into Dhaka North City Corporation.

The document presented at the latest cabinet meeting states, as mentioned in the 16 April memorandum of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), that all lands reserved for civic amenities are identified in the approved ‘layout’ of Bashundhara Residential Area. The document instructs that these lands be urgently transferred to Dhaka North City Corporation legally.

Multiple city corporation officials have stated that once transferred, neither Bashundhara Group nor Bashundhara Welfare Society can take any money from land or flat owners and residents. Owners will pay government-determined property taxes. The city corporation will provide citizen services, and a separate police station will be established there. Various citizen services, including the playground, will be opened.

To learn the views of Bashundhara Group on these matters, Prothom Alo sent written questions to Abdul Bari, the media adviser of the organisation. In response, he verbally communicated Bashundhara Group's stance, saying that the group's authorities are aware of the government's decision and are analysing it. They will formally announce their position once it is complete.

Regarding the per katha fee, Bashundhara authorities stated that money is taken for various development and maintenance works such as road construction, bridge and culvert construction, street lighting, tree plantation, and plot boundary construction. However, the charge is not excessively high.

Bashundhara authorities also mentioned that the owners' organisation, Bashundhara Welfare Society, recently sent a letter to the local government ministry regarding this issue, requesting time for bringing Bashundhara Residential Area under the city corporation's jurisdiction.

Bashundhara authorities claim that a memorandum of understanding was previously signed with RAJUK. As per the agreement, after the completion of development work, Bashundhara Residential Area is supposed to be handed over to a public welfare organisation, RAJUK, or another entity as specified by law in 2034.

However, the private residential project land development regulation (2004) states that the complete development of the project should be completed within a maximum of 10 years according to the final layout plan and development plan of the residential project.

The first layout plan approval for Bashundhara was given on 30 December 1987. On 31 January 2016, the revised and expanded layout plan for the first phase (Blocks A to L) and the final layout plan for the second phase (Blocks M, N, P, and I) of the Bashundhara Residential Project were conditionally approved.

Responsible government figures think that Bashundhara's request for additional time is a delaying tactic. They would never want to lose control of this area as it is a source of income for them. They engage in various businesses in the residential area and do not allow others to enter those businesses.

Bashundhara Residential Area is situated in the northeastern part of Dhaka. According to an advertisement video circulated on the Facebook page of Bashundhara-owned Kaler Kantho newspaper on 11 November 2025, Bashundhara Residential Area started with four blocks in 1987; now the number of blocks is 20, housing over 50,000 families.

According to the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (2022) by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the average household size in the country is 4. 2. Based on that, the population of Bashundhara Residential Area is over 210, 000.

The amount of land in Bashundhara can be found in government documents. On 15 July 2024, approval was given for the ''layout plan'' (project layout) of 3,404 acres of land under the Bashundhara Residential Area Project. Of this, 74 acres are marked as ‘government interest-related’. This means the project currently has 3,330 acres of land.

A large part of this residential area is built-up, but one section is still empty. Some areas are still undergoing land development. There have been allegations of the use of muscle and financial power by Bashundhara for expanding the project scope.

On 22 July 2024, during the anti-discrimination student movement, then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held a meeting with businessmen. In the meeting, Bashundhara's chairman, Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, said, ''If previous BNP-Jamaat incidents were prosecuted, they would not have the courage today. Everyone knows who is involved. ''

He stated, ''If businesses are closed for seven days, it won't affect anything. This terrorist extremist force must be destroyed, and for that, we must unite."

Calling for bringing "arson terrorists" under justice, Ahmed Akbar Sobhan said, ''She (Sheikh Hasina) will lead us. InshaAllah, no force can harm us. We have trust and faith in leadership, which will remain even after death. ''

After the fall of the Awami League government in the July uprising, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) started investigating allegations of corruption, money laundering, and acquiring illegal assets against Ahmed Akbar Sobhan and his family members. On 21 October 2024, the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court imposed a travel ban on Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, his wife Afroza Begum, son Sayem Sobhan Anvir and his wife Sabrina Sobhan, another son Sadat Sobhan and his wife Sonia Ferdous Sobhan, and two other sons Safiat Sobhan Sanvir and Safwan Sobhan.

Sources from the ACC indicated that several family members of Ahmed Akbar Sobhan were already abroad. Among them, Ahmed Akbar Sobhan and five others applied for permission to travel abroad. On 27 April 2026, the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Sabbir Faye rejected the request.

ACC Deputy Director (Public Relations) Akhtarul Islam told Prothom Alo on 18 May that two cases have been filed under the Money Laundering Act against Bashundhara Group. These cases are currently under investigation.

Moreover, in investigating allegations of money laundering and irregularities against the family of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 11 industrial groups, including Bashundhara Group, a ''Joint Investigation Team'' has been formed by the interim government.

Discussions with landowners, flat owners, tenants, and real estate traders in Bashundhara Residential Area revealed that if someone wants to buy land from general plot owners there, the buyer must pay an extra Tk 500,000 per katha. This amount is taken by Bashundhara Group outside the government-imposed taxes.

Three individuals who bought land in Bashundhara and the owners of two building construction companies stated that this charge was previously Tk 10,00,000 per katha. After the July uprising, its collection was suspended for a while but later resumed at a reduced rate.

About three years ago, a retired government official bought a 7. 5 katha plot from a plot owner in Bashundhara Residential Area. He anonymously told Prothom Alo that when purchasing the land, he had to pay an additional Tk 1000,000 per katha outside the government taxes to Bashundhara Group. No such fee is required if land is purchased directly from Bashundhara Group’s East West Property Development.

Meanwhile, if a buyer wants to construct a building on their own after purchasing land, a fee of Tk 150,000 is charged by Bashundhara’s East West Property Development, irrespective of the plot size. If the land is handed to a housing development firm, Bashundhara charges Tk 200,000.

Since Bashundhara Residential Area is not yet under the control of the city corporation, it cannot collect holding taxes. However, flat owners in Bashundhara are charged ‘service charges’ similar to holding taxes by the Bashundhara Welfare Society, claiming to offer various services.

A notice for collecting service charges shows that if an owner stays in their own flat, the monthly service charge is 60 paisa per square foot, 80 paisa for tenants, and Tk 1. 8 for commercial establishments. Hence, for a 1, 500-square-foot flat, approximately Tk 10,000 is collected annually from an owner, about Tk 14,500 from a tenant, and around Tk 32,500 for commercial establishments.

Residents state that the society is essentially controlled by Bashundhara Group, and only those aligned with them hold top positions. The current president of the society is Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Iqbal, an Independent Member of Parliament from Kishoreganj–5, who rebelled after failing to receive a BNP nomination in the 13th National Election.

Mujibur Rahman told Prothom Alo that it is untrue that Bashundhara insiders appoint the top society positions. Leadership is elected through elections, and he was elected likewise. He also added that people in Bashundhara can sleep with open doors, without fear of theft or robbery, which cannot be maintained if transferred to the city corporation, as it will get crowded with shops losing its environment and beauty. Bashundhara Residential Area is well-organied and adorned with trees.

Shafiqul Islam Khan, the administrator of the North City Corporation, told Prothom Alo that Bashundhara's statements are their own, considering they've been managing the area for a long time. He mentioned that the city corporation would conduct its future activities while maintaining an eco-friendly ambiance in Bashundhara Residential Area.

Shafiqul Islam noted that they received the letter regarding Bashundhara’s inclusion under the city corporation on Tuesday and will now prepare an action plan by meeting with divisional heads of the corporation.

However, the saying that Bashundhara is safe is questioned. Lawyer Naeem Kibria (35) was beaten to death here on 31 December. Police then stated that Naeem was driving his private car in Bashundhara Residential Area around 10 PM. At one point, the private car hit a motorcycle. The motorcycle riders and other unknown youths pulled Naeem out of the car and beat him to death.

A university student living in Bashundhara said, "Many young people drive here without a licence. Frequent accidents occur due to speeding. Many incidents do not come to light. "

He added that the death of a rickshaw puller recently sparked local discussions.

Many residents say that Bashundhara does control the area in the name of security. Complaints of abusive behaviour by security personnel with common residents exist. On the other hand, whenever someone from the owner group of Bashundhara comes out on the road, they are escorted like a ''VVIP. ''

Bashundhara Residential Area has five entryways. The entrance through the Purbachal Road is always open, the other paths are closed after midnight. A resident of this area, under condition of anonymity, told Prothom Alo, "Living here feels like not being in Bangladesh, as if Bashundhara is a separate country, a state within a state. You have to do whatever Bashundhara people say; otherwise, you fall into different types of problems. "

Urban planner Adil Muhammad Khan, executive director of a city planning research organisation, Institute of Planning and Development (IPD), told Prothom Alo, "A state within a state cannot exist. Besides, once development work on a project area finishes, it has to be handed over to the appropriate government authority as per law, which is what the government is trying with the initiative to bring Bashundhara Residential Area under the city corporation. "