The man who was originally allotted the Banani plot, later awarded to Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami, said he will be glad to have it back.
Published : 13 Jul 2016, 07:43 PM
Azizur Rahim, an expat living in the US, made the comment after the government announced on Wednesday that it was taking back plots awarded to war criminals when the BNP was in power with Jamaat.
“I welcome this decision by the government. I will be very glad to have it back,” he told bdnews24.com, now in Dhaka.
Nizami, who was executed for crimes against humanity in May this year, was awarded the plot by RAJUK, the city development agency, in 2006 when he was industries minister in Khaleda Zia’s cabinet.
Rahim now lives in North Carolina. He was living in New York when he was allotted the plot in Banani in 2006 on expatriate quota.
But Nizami, who headed the vicious Al-Badr militia to commit mass killing, rape and other atrocities against Bengalis in 1971, was awarded the five Katha plot in the rich Dhaka neighbourhood ‘in recognition of his work for the state’.
(1 Katha = 1.65 decimals)
An investigation was launched after Rahim filed a complaint with the housing secretary.
Nizami, after receiving the plot, gave power of attorney to Mission Developers Ltd, a firm owned by Jamaat leaders, in a move not approved by RAJUK.
A building now stands on the plot at Road-18, Banani. It is named ‘Mission Nahar’ after Nizami’s wife Shamsun Nahar Nizami.
“I come from a family of freedom fighters. My four brothers fought the war, one of them was honoured with the title of Bir Pratik.
“The plot given to me on expatriate quota fell into the hands of a war criminal,” he said.
“I didn’t even get a letter that said my plot was cancelled. It was never issued, as far as I know. Khaleda Zia and Mirza Abbas took the decision to give it to him (Nizami).”
Azizur Rahim told bdnews24.com that he had written to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the housing secretary several times to get his plot back.
“But there came no reply. I have also met the prime minister once in New York.”
He said he had rejected a caretaker government offer of a 10-katha plot at Uttara in place of the Banani plot.
According to media reports, the plot in Banani was allotted to Nizami even though Rahim had paid Tk 300,000 in instalment for the plot.
Rahim said he has not taken back the money he paid because he had not received any notice on the cancellation of his allotment.