Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) demolished ‘Bagh-e-Monem’, the house of the then East Pakistan governor in the city’s Banani area. A mobile team, led by DNCC Chief Engineer Brig Gen Syeed Anwarul Islam, has demolished Bagh-e-Monem that belonged to then East Pakistan provincial governor Abdul Monem Khan at 2:30pm on Thursday.
The eviction team comprised other high officials of DNCC besides Syeed. Earlier, the DNCC Mayor Annisul Huq took a decision at a meeting along with other officials of the city corporation to demolish all illegal establishments in the area, a DNCC official told the journalists before starting the drive.
The official added: “Monem’s two daughters have established Onnesha International School and College in the same area.” Monem Khan was the governor of then East Pakistan from 1962-69. After the demolition, Mayor Annisul told journalists that family members of Abdul Monem Khan had been illegally occupying the building established on 10-katha plot for 50 years.
The DNCC mayor has announced that the land is now free from grabbing. “Now the land will be used for road extension.” He said the house had been destroyed as the owners of ‘Bagh-e-Monem’ could not show legal documents. The land was surrounded by walls. All the boundary walls and illegal establishments have been demolished. The land will be used for road and resting place for pedestrians and commuters,” he said.
The mayor also urged the authorities concerned to recover Monem Khan’s other property. He said more than hundred acres across Dhaka city had been illegally occupied by various vested quarters.He also said, “They can’t recover the grabbed lands as cases are pending with courts. The legal procedure is going on to recover those lands.”
The illegally grabbed lands would be recovered gradually and be brought under government’s control, he said.He added that in the Bangladesh Liberation War he (Monem) supported the Pakistan army. Governor Abdul Monem Khan was killed by Bangladesh liberation forces during that war.
The capital development agency RAJUK has identified as many as 552 unapproved commercial entities at Gulshan and other upmarket areas in Dhaka North. The unauthorised establishments include restaurants, hotels, educational institutions and hospitals.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Housing and Public Works on October 26 instructed the authorities concerned to take necessary measures on confiscation of a piece of land allotted to Monem Khan. This anti-liberation politician occupied the huge government land and established ‘Bagh-e-Monem’ during Pakistan period.
