The government is allocating a ‘reluctant’ Sheikh Rehana a house on one and a half Bighas of land in Dhaka’s upscale Gulshan for her being the daughter of the nation’s founding father.
The formalities to allot House no. 10 on Road no. 84 at a token price of Tk 1,001 to the Prime Minister’s only sister have been finalised, according to officials at the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.
“The process is being finalised to allocate a house in Gulshan to Bangabandhu’s (Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) daughter Sheikh Rehana under the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Family Members Security Act, 2009,” Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain told bdnews24.com on Wednesday.
“The house will be given for a token price,” he confirmed.
Rehana was allotted a house in Dhanmondi for a token price of Tk 101 in 2001. She used the house to accommodate her personal staff.
But shortly after assuming power for a second time, the BNP government repealed the laws related to the security of the family members of Bangabandhu.
And the property in Dhaka’s residential Dhanmondi district was handed to the home ministry to house the local police station by the then BNP government in 2003.
Sheikh Rehana, left, with her sister Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. File Photo
Sheikh Rehana was given the privilege of ‘buying’ the house for a token price as being a daughter of Bangabandhu.
She challenged the decision of Khaleda Zia government and got the house back. But a change of heart saw her return the house to the government.
That property now houses Dhanmondi Police Station.
Mosharraf, who sits on the ruling Awami League’s Presidium, said Rehana did not entertain the idea of being given a house this time too.
“But she has children who can stay there.”
“There is a court verdict that says Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Rehana be given a permanent address, we are working on that,” he added.
When asked if the proposal to set aside the residence was finalised by the Prime Minister’s Office, he said, “There is no secrecy here. We are looking into the court’s verdict and the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Family Members Security Act, 2009.”
The minister did not specify the exact location of Rehana’s new home.
“It will be in Gulshan and we might have to tear down that old house and make her a new one.”
A senior ministry official, however, told bdnews24.com that the prime minister’s younger sister will get the road no. 84 NEL (2) House no 10, which rests on 1.65 Bighas. (1 Acre= 3.025 Bighas)
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the rest of the family were killed in a coup in 1975. His daughters Hasina and Rehana survived as they were living abroad during the assassination.
Khaleda Zia was also allotted a residence in Gulshan during HM Ershad’s regime in 1981 in the same way after assassination of former president Ziaur Rahman as widow of the slain general.
The BNP chairperson ‘bought’ an abandoned house on one and half acres of land in Gulshan for a token price of Tk 101 after Zia’s murder.
A house on eight Bighas of land at Shaheed Moinul Road in Dhaka Cantonment was also leased out to her on July 8, 1981 for Tk 1.
The BNP chief, however, did not move into the Gulshan home and instead decided to rent another in the area after being evicted from her home in Dhaka Cantonment by the Awami League government in 2010.
Source: BD news24
After what she did to Khaleda Zia and her government allotted house in Dhaka Cantonment, how can Sk Hasina make the same mistake with her sister? It’s reasonable to assume that a time may come when Sk.Rehana could face the same fate as Khaleda. I urge both Hasina and Rehana not to proceed any further with this adventure. I know it’s greeeeed… difficult to resist. Why not try it once? Does she really need this house?
Bangladesh politicians think Bangladesh is a Disney Land. Anything they wish they get it. They change the laws to make it halal or outright steal it. What make Sheikh Rehana or other luminaries something different than the common public? When did Sheikh Mujib and his family became “ROYAL”. I thought we never had kingship in Bangladesh. Why are creating this idol worshipping?
Where is our so-called liberation-spirited civil society – how come they they are so mute in the face of what I regard this giving of croers of taka worth of public property to PM’s sister for a song is nothing but an act of outright plunder.
I wonder when if ever Bangladeshis will rise against this Sk clan who have brought nothing but misery to the country – they have sold our sovereignty, completely detroyed adminstration, tarnished the country’s Muslim nationalist identity and have made thuggery and lawlessness everyday business of life and in the process have made Bangladesh the least safe and least respected country in the world.
It is time to rise against these criminals and kick the shit out of these vermins and also make sure that these self-seeking murdering clan never walks the soil of the country ever!
This is democracy Bangladeshi style. I,am not surprised at all. Remember, her brother attended Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst before his sad demise. Why lament? History will judge all these actions! Let us wait and see.
The repeating nature of recent historical events in Bangladesh indicates that the country itself has become a musical chair – whoever can sit on it takes it all. Hasina knows it well that if BNP comes to power, things are going to reverse anyway. Then why she acted the way she did? Apparently, Hasina wants to make it a bargaining chip that will allow Khaleda to get back her lost property in exchange for Rehana’s,The people of Bangladesh must be on their guards against looting the country by power elites in total disregards to the trust the people have given them.
I do not know the exact location of the property being allocated to SK Rehana. I think a better location for her would be along road number 27 in Banani leading to “Banani Gorosthan.” That place is free from the hubbub over the allocation of Gulshan property, but more tranquil and is filled with eternal bliss.