The High Court on Sunday asked the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha to explain in four weeks the legality of allotting plots to 912 people in the Gazipur portion of the Purbachal New Town project.

Of the total allotees, 600 were not eligible to get the plots as they were not original owners of land that was acquired by Rajuk in 2000–2001 to establish the housing project, said a writ petition filed by 53 persons that were denied plots.

The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir issued the ruling on hearing the writ petition.

The court also asked Rajuk to explain why it would not be directed to prepare a fresh list after cancelling the allotment of the 912 people.

The court also asked the Rajuk chairman to dispose of within 30 days the applications filed by Rehena Akther and other affected persons with his office on April 11 to cancel the allotments to the 912 persons on the grounds of anomalies and corruption in selecting the allotees.

The petitioners said that Rajuk in 2019 invited applications for allotment of plots among the affected land owners on payment of Tk 20,000 as stipulated in the agreement before acquiring the land.      

The writ petitioners said that a total of 2,200 people applied for plots as affected persons and Rajuk’s district committee selected 1,860 persons.

The petitioners said that Rajuk on December 20, 2020 finally selected the 912 people, 600 of whom were outsiders and not ‘award certificate recipient’ affected land owners.

They said that there were 30 government officials on the final list, most of whom were Rajuk’s officers in Gazipur office.

Lawyer Sazzad-Ul Islam appeared for the petitioners.