Despite repeated eviction drives by the government, the city's infamous 'Korail Slum' still exists as a safe haven for drug dealing and anti-social activities.
At least 10 highly influential persons are conducting different illegal businesses inside the 160-acre slum, alleged sources. It is alleged that at least 15 persons turned millionaire by illegally occupying houses in the slum; 6 persons have become millionaire through illegal gas supply, 11 persons have become rich by supplying illegal power connection while some others have earned huge amount of money by illegal water supply in the slum area.
Adjacent to Gulshan-Banani, a 170 acres of land was acquired in the name of T&T early in 1956 but currently the BTCL occupies only 10 acre and rest is under possession of encroacher.Notable, the government has a plan to establish an IT Village at the Korail Slum area. Bangladesh High Tech Park Authority (BHTPA) is awaiting approval of the government to set up the IT Village at Korail slum location.
Infrastructure Investment Facilitation, a private company has already prepared a report after conducting a feasibility study styled ‘Mohakhali IT Village’. The IT Village has to be equipped with adequate infrastructure facilities, to be constructed over 44 acres of land to accommodate about 800 renowned BASIS-member IT firms.Sources said the plan for Mohakhali IT Village is already finalised but due to the stay order of the court, and issues relating to rehabilitation of existing slum dwellers, the project sees no substantial progress.
The resettlement of the slum inhabitants represents a major challenge for the project. In view of the survey, several opinions were given for rehabilitation of slum dwellers. These include financial compensation by the government, rehabilitation by PPP investors, rehabilitation through related developer companies and the other ways of rehabilitation.
The government has also taken an initiative to construct 4662 residential flats under Public Private Partnership (PPP) on a 43.38 acre of land of Karial. According to the DPP, prepared by the Department of Housing under the ministry of Housing and Public Works, the cost of the total project is Tk. 11.74 crore. But works of the project is also being delayed due to various reasons.
