As many as 2,969 expatriate Bangladeshis have been primarily selected for allocation of plots in the Purbachal New City Development Project.

The final list of non-resident Bangladeshis, who will be allotted plots in the Tk 2,000 crore Rajuk project, will be published in the newspapers shortly. The plots will likely be handed over in midFebruary.

"The government expects investment to the tune of $800 in the housing sector through this project over the next ten years," said Housing and Public Works Minister Mirza Abbas as he briefed newsmen on the project yesterday.

Expatriates dropped 3,399 or 12.5 per cent of total applications for plots in the township project. Of these, 430 were rejected on such technical grounds as mistakes in application forms and failure to meet the Rajuk criteria.

However, the minister said these applications would be considered on priority basis and proper steps would be taken upon scrutiny so that all NRBs could be included in the project.

The Rajuk earlier marked out 1000 plots for expatriate Bangladeshis. However, as the

applications from the NRBs exceeded the quota, the government decided at the directive of the prime minister to allocate plots to them on priority basis, the minister said.

The highest number of NRB application was from the United States (1,115). There were applications from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Kuwait, Qatar, Canada, Italy, Australia, Oman, Japan, Singapore and some other countries.

Scrutiny of a total of 27,099 applications for the project would be completed by mid-February, Abbas told the briefing.

State Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Quamrul Islam, Housing and Public Works Secretary M Aminur Rahman and Rajuk Chairman Iqbaluddin Chowdhury were also at the briefing among others.

Quamrul said the NAM apartments would be allotted to the NRBs on priority basis.

Iqbaluddin said about Tk 700 crore will be required for land filling in the project site.

"A total of 4,500 acres of land have already been acquired and preparation for the rest is on," he said. "Each katha of land will cost Tk 1.5 to 2 lakh."