Bashundhara Residential Area remains entirely under the control of Bashundhara Group. Many say the area is like a state within a state. Prothom Alo spoke to at least 15 landowners, flat owners, tenants, real estate businessmen, land buyers, and intermediaries involved in buying and selling land in the area. They said Bashundhara Group makes its own rules there. Its founder and chairman is Ahmed Akbar Sobhan.
If anyone buys land from a private owner in the area, they have to pay an additional Tk 5 lakh per katha to Bashundhara Group's real estate company, which is over and above the land price and government-determined taxes. Before the July mass uprising, the amount was Tk 10 lakh per katha. Bashundhara's 'loyal' owners' association, Bashundhara Welfare Society, also collects service charges from flat owners. Money is also taken in various other ways from flat and land owners.
In this area covering approximately three and a half thousand acres, the group has its own security force. The city corporation cannot collect property tax from there. The city corporation also does not have control over road development, cleanliness activities, playgrounds, and other civic amenities.
During the tenure of the Awami League government ousted in the July mass uprising, a gazette was published on June 28, 2016, bringing this residential area under the city corporation. However, no effective steps were seen at that time to establish city corporation control there according to the gazette. An attempt was also made during the interim government's tenure. However, the government did not take any strong action at that time.
After the BNP government assumed office, it has taken the initiative to bring the Bashundhara Residential Area under the city corporation. The BNP government, having won the thirteenth national parliamentary election, was sworn in on February 17.
A top-level government source says that in March, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman instructed that the Bashundhara Residential Area be incorporated into Dhaka North City Corporation. Subsequently, the Ministry of Housing and Public Works prepared a report and sent it to the Cabinet Division.
Most recently, the proposal for this incorporation was passed in the cabinet meeting held at the Secretariat on May 7. On May 13, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman approved the related documents. One of the discussion items in the cabinet meeting was: 'Presentation of a proposal to take necessary actions in coordination with the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and the Local Government Division regarding the inclusion of Bashundhara Residential Area in Dhaka North City Corporation.'
The decision on this matter, as recorded in the minutes of the meeting (May 7), states: 'The city corporation, Dhaka WASA, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha, and other service-providing government and autonomous bodies shall carry out their activities in all gazetted areas of Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporations according to their respective laws and regulations.'
The gazette of June 28, 2016, had included the mouzas of Beraid, Badda, Bhatara, and Satarkul unions under the Bashundhara Residential Project of East West Property Development Limited, a company of Bashundhara Group, into Dhaka North City Corporation.
