Another stretch of the Gulshan Lake measuring more than half a kilometre, has been sold out to individuals, according to an on-the- spot investigation.

The sold out area from Kemal Ataturk Avenue In the north to Gulshan Section 1 has been demarcated by concrete pillars as per the size of each plot.

At places 'skeleton-like' concrete structures have emerged from the lake. In the extreme northern side near the Kemal Ataturk Avenue, the pillars are hidden under thick water hyacinth.

From the Banani side of the same spot, dozens of such plots in the lake have already been extracted by earth- filling. Several plot owners have already started piling work. On the Gul-

shan side, construction oi several buildings is underway in the lake.

A developer at an under-construction site in the lake on the Banani side said he will construct a "massive" apartment bloc across the lake. He said that he obtained the land allocation from the Rajuk "few years ago."

At Road No 35. long-time residents of the area alleged that they were deceived by Rajuk. 'We bought the plot because there was a lake here as Rajuk told us," a resident told this correspondent. "Now they have sold the entire lake and everyday new developers are moving in."

The resident who did not want to be named said that a year ago he had personally lodged a complaint with the Ra-

juk"but nothing has been done.

Sources in Rajuk claimed many plots were sold out from the fake during Ershad's rule. "The former President would ask the Chairman to go to his office with the Gulshan Model Town land index and order him to chalk out plots from the lake and its adjacent areas with a pencil in his hand," said a source.

He said, during the BNP rule, many of those plots allocated during Ershad's rule were either cancelled or "frozen" and then allocated to new batches of Individuals. Asked what "frozen" meant, he replied. "After allocating a low-lying plot. Rajuk has to fill it up before the land can be registered. Since we did not earth-fill those, the land remained unregistered and so

the status of those plots Is

Other Rajuk sources said that the worst blow to the Gulshan Lake came over the last five years when the then Chairman used his discretionary power to bypass the Master Plan and allocate plots indiscriminately. 'The former Chairman was widely regarded as a man who satisfied everybody. In the process, several hundred plots were extracted from the Gulshan Lake within a single year in 1994.'' one source said.

The sources also said that most of the new-batch of allottees were among the richest men in the country. 'There are instances that beneficiaries have upto five houses in Dhaka. But Rajuk has never moved to clamp down on this illegal and immoral act.'' he said.