Metrorail to spread light of Tk 9,000 cr housing

Rajuk Uttara Apartment Project

Mahfuz Emran: The lives of Dhaka residents are getting stuck in the trap of mechanics. There is no touch of greenery or serene nature in the bustling city life. There is poison in the air here. There is no chesty breath in the brick-stone enclosure. Heavy traffic, dust, high noise pollution and overcrowding are the curse of this city! Still, overcoming all the odds, life here runs on a daily basis. In the same style as ever.
But if you turn your eyes a little far from the city, you will see another land of green and peace. One of them is the Diabari area of Uttara of the capital. Where the green banani is putting a layer of peace in the civil life. There are white flowers, rippling lake water, open sky and fresh air. People of Dhaka should run to such places around if they get a chance. Want to get close to nature.
Even those who come to Dhaka from different parts of the country for work or sightseeing also seek peace under the open sky of Diabari.
But it is sad but true, once there was violence of various criminal gangs in Diabari. Being beaten up by various organized gangs including ‘Kishore Gang’, ‘Fitting Party’, losing money and mobile phones due to robbery or blackmail, and being beaten up were the daily scenes there.
“Rajuk Uttara Apartment Project” has now been developed in that Diabari. The cost of the project is Tk 9030 crore. A total of 6,636 flats have been built.
But due to the lack of sanctuaries of criminals and lack of proper transportation, 70 percent of flats are still lying vacant. The remaining 30 percent of the flats are occupied by people. Residents and flat owners are now dreaming anew with the dream of a metro rail.
Because, it takes only 10 minutes to reach this project by walking from Metrorail Uttara Madhya station. Flat owners say that no flat in the project will remain vacant once the Metrorail is launched. A lot of relief will return in terms of communication.
Former Deputy Director of Youth Development Department Haji Mohammad Yachin Ali,currently lives in a flat in Karnaphuli Bhawan of Uttara Apartments since 2018. Once he used to work regularly in Motijheel from there. It used to take a few hours to go from the accommodation to Agargaon area.
Yashin Ali told, Metrorail is our only hope. It is not possible to travel from here without Metrorail. That is why 70 percent flats are still vacant. Because, only in the evening, the ghostly atmosphere descends in this area. Robbery and theft are daily occurrences. Once we could not go out after evening. However, after the construction of the Metrorail, the fear has subsided somewhat. We will benefit the most if Metrorail starts. Everyone is looking at the metro rail.
In that project, three-bed flats of 1,654 square feet are currently available for rent at Tk 12,000 to Tk 13,000. Tenants are still not inclined towards the project due to lack of transportation facilities and difficulty in daily haat-bazaar. Dream Metrorail will be opened for the citizens on December 28. Expectations of the stakeholders, there will be no more ghostly atmosphere in housing projects with the launch of Metrorail. Joules will return to the entire area.
Basically, the lack of transportation facilities and the quiet environment are the bane of the housing residents. After investigation, it is known that many of the criminals live in various flats there at low rent. When the metro rail starts, the occupancy in housing will increase as the flat owners will also be able to hire good tenants as per their choice.
Mohammad Sajjad Hossain, a former official of Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) resident there told, “We suffer the most from Dhaka.” Came here hoping for metro rail. But the atmosphere in the housing area is haunted. But we will benefit the most if the metro rail starts. Because the metro rail station is only 10 minutes’ walk from my flat.
The RAJUK is constructing flats in Uttara Phase III project for housing low- and middle-income people. Many thought that the flats there would be affordable. But the opposite happened. To get a flat by following the tough conditions given by Rajuk for the allotment of these flats under construction, you have to spend crores of taka. Which is very difficult for low- and middle-income people. Still many flats are empty. And in this opportunity, many criminals are hiding their names and identities and are living there undisturbed.
Kalavati Bhavan President Mohammad Nasiruzzaman told that there is no good transportation system. Many flats are empty. Some of the criminals are taking advantage of this. Recently one human trafficker was arrested by the police. They took people’s money in the name of sending people abroad. Also, the police have arrested members of criminal gangs from here. But I believe, when the metro rail is launched, we will get rid of these incidents.
Rajuk has constructed flats in Uttara Phase III project for housing low- and middle-income people. Flat project is implemented on 214.44 acres of land in Sector 18 of Uttara Phase III of Rajuk. There will be 15,036 flats in three blocks ‘A, B and C’. The estimated cost of the project is Tk 9,300,720,000. The project will have 179 sixteen-storey buildings. The work of ‘A’ block has been completed. The work of ‘B’ and ‘C’ blocks is scheduled to start in stages.
The work of ‘B’ and ‘C’ blocks is scheduled to start in phases. A total of 6636 flats have been prepared in 79 buildings of ‘A’ block.
Mohammad Mozaffar Uddin, director of Rajuk Uttara Apartment Project said that the housing project was taken up in Uttara Sector 18 as per the plan of Metrorail. Metrorail will connect housing residents to the main city.
Because, the railway station can be easily reached on foot from the residential area. Allotment of flats is at the end, but still many flats are vacant. Residents will come to the flats quickly when the metro rail is launched. Then there will be no more desolate silence. Blessings for accommodation on Metrorail.