Just like Harris Chowhdury, a convicted fugitive and political secretary to former prime minister Khaleda Zia, some other influential leaders of the immediate past ruling four-party alliance also bought government houses for giveaway prices under other peoples' names from Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), using political and administrative clout.

The list of high profile wheeler-dealers include the two sons and relatives of Khaleda Zia, and a host of ministers and lawmakers of the immediate past ruling alliance.

Former housing and public works minister Mirza Abbas, who himself allegedly bought a house, also allegedly arranged the process for his party colleagues and close associates for buying the houses at cheap rates using other peoples' names.

In 2004, the Rajuk authorities took an initiative to sell 18 government houses situated in upscale Gulshan, Dhanmondi, and Banani areas of the capital. BNP Chairperson Khaleda

Zia's sons and relatives, BNP ministers, and lawmakers and leaders of the four-party alliance bought no less than a dozen of those houses, under other peoples' names to hide their corruption.

Since the present interim government had taken over the power, the original allottee of Harris Chowdhury's house, Fakir Mahbub Aanam, applied to the government on May 6 pleading to be allowed to surrender the house to the government. Finally, Rajuk repossessed the house on May 30.

The joint forces are currently investigating those alleged shady real estate deals. Mirza Abbas is in jail now, and the Rajuk authorities made 32 of its officers, including the former chairman and the former chief engineer, officers on special duty (OSD) in connection with the web of corruption in the agency.

Rajuk Chairman AKM Harun recently told The Daily Star that the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) filed cases of corruption in connection with the underhanded deals.

Rajuk sources said the government agency put an advertisement in three newspapers on May 23, 2004 announcing auctioning of those 18 houses. They sought from each auction participant Tk 1 lakh deposit for per katha of land he or she was competing for. A total of 156 people took part in that auction, the sources added.

"But at the end of the process, BNP leaders and other influential people succeeded in buying those houses through bidding the highest prices," said a Rajuk source.

The total amount of lands on which those houses stand, is 245.32 kathas, which were sold for a total of about Tk 65 crore. But according to an estimated present market price, a katha of land in those posh areas is no less than Tk 1 crore. Adding the value of the houses to the total estimated price of land, the Rajuk sources calculate the amount of money swindled at no less than Tk 300 crore.

Rajuk sources said Tarique Rahman, elder son of Khaleda Zia, allegedly bought a house at the address of NYK-6 of Road -89 in Gulshan under the name of Shamsuddin Ahmed, a director of Bashundhora Group. The house on a land of 25.36 kathas was sold for only Tk 5,98,41000. Later, AYM Kamal, a member of the BNP central committee, was awarded the power of attorney of the property. Now, Tarique and Shamsuddin are in jail and nobody is living in the house.

This correspondent called the resident phone number of AYM Kamal several times, but he could not be reached for comments.

Former commerce minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowhdury allegedly bought a house at the address of NWB-16 on Road-66 in Gulshan under the name of Iftekhar Uddin Ahmed. He bought the house on 20 kathas of land for only Tk 4,89,00000.

When asked, Amir Khasru said there was nothing shady in the deal. "I myself paid the money from my bank account. I and a friend of mine jointly own the house. We borrowed the money from a bank mortgaging our property," said Amir Khasru. He also claimed that the house is also registered under their names. "I just applied for the registration on a form that had been collected from Rajuk by Iftekhar," he said.

Former lawmaker of Jatiya Party (Najiur), Kazi Md Anawar Hossain, also allegedly bought a duplex house on a land of 11.7 kathas at the address of CES (G) 16 (B) on Road-112 in Gulshan under the name of Ariful Hasan for only Tk 3,04,43,000.

This correspondent called Kazi Anawar Hossain four times on his cell phone for comments, and found his personal secretary receiving the call every time enquiring about the purpose of the call. On the fourth call he promised that Anwar Hossain would call back as he was busy with some foreign guests at the time, but that call did not come till filing of this report around 9:00pm yesterday.

A nephew of Khaleda Zia, Shahrin Islam Tuhin, allegedly bought a house on a land of 20 kathas for only Tk 4,08,00,000 at the address of Holding No-59 on Road-20 in Gulshan.

On the auction schedule, Tuhin mentioned the name of his close associate Nurun Newaz Selim as the buyer, the sources said. In 1979 the house was allotted to Salma Khaled, wife of a slain national hero and the commander of sector 2 during the liberation war, Brig Khaled Mosharaff. The Rajuk authorities sold the house to Tuhin in spite of the fact that Salma Khaled was living there at the time with her family. Salma filed a case disputing the sale and the court ordered against her. Soon after, Tuhin started issuing threats to Salma in an effort to cower her into relinquishing the possession of the property. She later filed a petition with a higher court and got a stay order on the previous court verdict. Salma and her family are still living in that house. Salma Khaled could not be reached for comments over the telephone as she was not at home at the time of the call. Shahrin Islam Tuhin is currently in hiding and could not be contacted.

Md Nuru Safa, the detail of whose identity could not be found, allegedly bought a house on a land of 8.44 kathas at the address of Holding No-4 on Road-128 in Gulshan for only Tk 2,11,98,000. Rajuk sources said the real owner of the house is Arafat Rahman Koko, younger son of Khaleda Zia. That house is also being looked after by Nurun Newaz Selim, source said.

There is an allegation against former housing and public works minister Mirza Abbas of buying a government house under the name of a real estate company. The house situated at House No-38/A on Road-6/A of Dhanmondi on a land of 10.37 kathas, was bought for only Tk 3,34,50,700. Some private security agency men have been guarding the house for thelast three years.

Former BNP lawmaker MAH Selim allegedly bought a house at 130 New Eskaton Road under the name of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira). Rajuk sources said he used his political and administrative clout to buy the house for Baira on a land of 7.45 kathas for only Tk 3,17, 68000.

Baira Secretary Momtazuddin Ahmed however said the house is actually owned by the organisation, and its present officeis alsoinit.

Former state minister for water resources Goutom Chakrabarty, allegedly bought a government auctioned house on a land of 20.02 kathas for only Tk 5,63,46,000, which is located at House-14 on Road-2 in Dhanmodi under the name of Mehdi Hasan. Before the tender for the auction was published, he had been living in the house as the state minister of the BNP-led alliance government.

A source however said Obaidul Karim, the fugitive chairman of Orion Gourp, influenced Gautom to buy the house and struck a deal with him regarding the purchase. Later, Obaidul Karim grabbed the house with the influence of Hawa Bhaban leaving Gautom with nothing.

Sources said Gautom even had to leave the house five months before his tenure as a state minister ended.