The Rajuk chief has been getting flak for his comments on some legislators.

The parliamentary standing committee on housing ministry yesterday asked Rajuk Chairman Nurul Huda to appear before it with explanation to his recent" derogatory'1 remarks on a section of lawmakers for their alleged involvement with land grabbers.

Earlier on July 5, the parliamentary standing committee on public assurance also asked the Rajuk chairman to give an explanation for the same reason.me parliamentary standing committee on housing and public works ministry yesterday said the government will scrap the Rajuk's idea of setting up a satellite city comprising parts of two unions—Bashon and Gacha in Gazipur—and Tongi municipality.

The standing committee held a meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban yesterday. Two of the five members who attended yesterday's committee meeting are involved in real estate and housing business. Nasrul Hamid Bipu is the president of Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh and Enamul Haque is the managing director of ENA Properties.

On scrutinising the real estate development and management bill, the committee recommended inclusion of a provision in the bill for setting up a regulatory body to bring the government housing organisations under control.

Interestingly, chief of the body ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury requested journalists to wait at the Jatiya Sangsad Media Centre for a press briefing after the meeting. However, after more than an hour and a half he informed them that there would be no press briefing there and asked the journalists to go to his private

secretary for the briefing.

Talking to reporters, M Masum, private secretary to the committee chief, said all legislators in the meeting bitterly criticised the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) chairman for his remarks on a section of lawmakers.

"Lawmakers in the meeting alleged that the Rajuk chairman even said a section of lawmakers are working for vested quarters and land grabbers to foil implementation of the detailed area plan," he said.

Some of the lawmakers also demanded removal of the Rajukboss.

The committee recommended that Rajuk chairman submit an explanation in the committee's next meeting.

On Rajuk's initiative to build a satellite city in Gazipur area, the housing secretary informed the committee that his ministry would take steps to scrap the project.

"After return of the state minister, necessary steps will be taken to this end," M Masum quoted the housing secretary as saying in the meeting.

The housing secretary also assured the committee that the ministry would take necessary actions against the Rajuk officials who told "lies" about building the satellite city in Gazipur.