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5 ministers yet to vacate NAM flats despite reminders
Five ministers and state ministers are not paying any heed to reminders to vacate the flats they are occupying in the MP buildings (NAM flats) at Manik Mia Avenue and Nakhalpara in Dhaka city.
Published : 26 Feb 2015, 06:12 PM
Updated : 27 Feb 2015, 08:33 AM
The Parliamentary committee, which looks after housing and other facilities of the MPs, on Feb 9, last year has decided that any minister, state minister or deputy minister would not be allotted NAM flats.
Following the decision, seven MPs who were allotted the flats during the tenure of the 9th Parliament, were asked to vacate the flats after they won elections and were inducted in the ministry.
In a meeting on Feb 16 the same year, the committee decided that any minister, state minister or deputy minister, who wanted to retain the NAM flats, would have to deposit house rent and service charges.
Only Deputy Environment and Forests Minister Abdullah Al Islam Jakob heed to the decision of the committee.
State Minister for Textiles and Jute Mirza Azam told the panel that he wanted to live in the NAM flat.
The other five who received the notices to vacate the flats are Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu (Flat-104, Building-1 at Nakhalpara), Fisheries and Livestock Minister Muhammed Sayedul Hoque (Flat-102, Building-4 at Manik Mia Avenue), Land Minister Shamsur Rahman Sherif (Flat-403, Building-4 at Manik Mia Avenue), Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan (Flat-404, Building-4 at Manik Mia Avenue) and State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid (Flat-704, Building-4 at Nakhalpara).
When asked about the matter, House Committee President and Chief Whip ASM Feroz told
that he knew about Mirza Azam’s desire to live in the NAM flat.
He added the government would reallot the flat to Azam.
He, however, was not willing to speak about the others.
From the department of the Parliament Secretariat, related to the matter, it was learnt that none of the six other than Azam was living in those flats.
In the Parliament’s telephone guide, NAM flats are not mentioned as the residential addresses of the five members though they are legally occupying those flats.
The ministers, except Nasrul Hamid, could not be reached for comments on the matter.
The state minister for power, energy and mineral resources said, “I have not been allotted any flat. What rubbish are you talking about without verifying facts?”
When he was told that the House Committee’s relevant document mentions his name as an allottee, an angry Hamid said, “You have wrong papers. I have not received any flat or house.”
“What even if I am allotted one? Have I encroached it? What nonsense...!”
The issue was raised in the House Committee’s meeting while discussing the progress of the implementation of its decisions on Wednesday.
A document of the meeting (a copy of which is in the possession of
) says the matter was discussed in another meeting on Dec 18, 2014.
Committee chief Feroz said in the meeting that those ministers who were not cooperating in vacating the flats or paying rents would have to leave the flats before the fifth session of the Parliament.
“The prime minister has given a directive in this regard,” he added.
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