Poor and Christians, victims of the acting government’s anti-corruption campaign
Khulna (AsiaNews) – The far-reaching and hard-nosed anti-corruption campaign pursued by Bangladesh’s acting government with the backing of the army is wiping the slate clean of many politicians and profiteers who had illegally seized land renting it out to merchants and homeless people. The campaign includes tearing down illegal buildings whether homes, stores and even hospitals. But now more than anyone else the poor and homeless and the Church that tried to help them are left out in the cold.
The latest episode is in the diocese of Khulna, more precisely in the parish of Muzgunni. In late May bulldozers moved into a village build with the assistance of the local Christian community. Here is a brief outline of what happened:
History
Two years ago the Muzgunni parish decided to provide some local families who lived in a slum near the church with decent housing. With the help of the bishop and an Italian aid agency called Africa 3000 based in Bergamo and other donors, about 1.5 acres were bought near the Fulbari Gate area, not far from the Khulna-Jessore by-pass road. The land was subdivided in 45 small lots and 40 were set aside for small single-family dwellings with a corrugated iron roof.
Construction was undertaken on the understanding that since the land was more than ten kilometres from the town centre and that the buildings were only partially in brick and mortar no permits were required from the Khulna Development Corporation (KDA), the municipal agency in charge of real estate development.
Six houses went up during the first phase; then when funding from Italy was confirmed the whole project went ahead. The area was eventually named Asar Para, Hope neighbourhood.
Only when building was in an advanced phase did the KDA show up declaring the project illegal. However, a KDA engineer told concerned residents that building could resume once a fine of 150,000 taka (about US$ 2,500) was paid, which was done.
Then lo and behold Bangladesh’s president declared a state of emergency on January 11 of this year, formed an acting government and this, with military backing, started a drive against illegal buildings of every type. Markets, stores, apartment blocks, even hospitals built without permit came in for demolition. The countless shanty towns built on state land in the capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country were in for shock.
Ostensibly, the goal was to get at corrupt politicians, organised crime and profiteers who had seized public land for their own benefit and rented it out to small merchants and homeless families. But what happened was that hundreds of thousands of poor people ended up paying the price, forced out of their shanties and from their small businesses despite paying money to their exploiters; now many have to live in the open air without a livelihood.
False accusations of proselytising
The government’s drive against corruption also reached Asar Para. With 26 small houses already built, indoor plumbing and bathroom included, and 14 on their way to completion, the order fell: they must be demolished at the owners’ own expenses. The former agreement was ignored or denied. The KDA engineer who pledged a permit upon payment of a fine probably kept the money and never informed the authorities.
The parish church, citing the existing “provisional law”, offered to pay another fine and settle the issue. But this time the offer was rejected.
Meanwhile Bangladeshi security authorities started an investigation into allegations that the houses were to be given to Hindus and Muslims on condition they become Christian.
The papal nuncio got involved writing to the Foreign Ministry and other government authorities. An appeal was launched and during the audience before the KDA council the scope of the inquiry widened. Questions were raised: Where did the money come from? Why was more land bought? What are the Church’s real intentions?
During a visit to the site the KDA secretary stated the houses were so good that they were not appropriate for the poor and that the money should have been better spent on building a high school. And in the end the demolition order was confirmed and a date set: April 15.
A new appeal was launched and more objections were voiced. This time the KDA argued that it was itself planning a middle class residential area on the border with Asar Para and that 40 houses for poor people nearby was no good because it would lead to a shanty town developing around them.
Another inquiry was launched into the matter by the Ministry of Religious Affairs after new accusations were made against the promoters of the project. Now it was claimed that the latter wanted to build 250 homes, a hospital, an orphanage and a cemetery and more in order to bring recently converted families who would attract Muslim and Hindu families. The only truth in these charges is that a Catholic cemetery was planned for the local Catholic community because the latter had run out of space in its existing burial grounds.
Demolition
A letter sent in late May confirmed the decision to wipe the project off the map, but no date was given. Demolition did take place in the end, on May 28. KDC bulldozers moved in and demolished everything standing in the area. What is more the Asar Pada promoters were ordered to clean up the ruins and pay for their removal within 24 hours.
The clean-up began right away but it could not be done quickly . A few days later the KDC complained about the slow clean-up saying that it was sign that the Church was hostile to the government and that it wanted to preserve evidence of the demolition in order to appeal to humanitarian organisations and slander Bangladesh abroad.
It did also give hints that if no one complained and protested, it would be easier to get building permits for the area, not for the poor but for the rich or for some other use.
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12/04/2007
