Acting Estate Manager Fatema Binte Mustafa of Dhaka University (DU) issued notices to 13 university officers and employees on Sunday to vacate their flats by October 31 allegedly without proper investigation.
After a series of reports published on the Daily Observer this year regarding illegal sublet tenant accommodation in university's residential areas, the DU authorities investigated 560 flats out of total 918 flats.
After raiding 560 flats, the investigation committee found that 49 flats were entirely rented out to outsiders, while two rooms each of 69 flats accommodated sublet tenants and one room each of 131 flats were let to strangers.
Following the recommendation of the committee, the university administration cancelled flat allotment of those who let their entire flats to outsiders while the others were apparently forgiven.
Immediately after the decision of cancellation, the victims alleged that their allotments were cancelled based on incorrect, imaginary and baseless allegations.
At that time, 13 among the 49 officers and employees submitted applications to the then Vice Chancellor Prof ASM Maksud Kamal and requested to reinvestigate their flats.
Prof Kamal at that time said that the investigation was not carried out sincerely and flats of the aggrieved 13 officers and employees would be reinvestigated.
Following the instruction, all the officers and employees except the 13 staff vacated their flats.
However, Prof Kamal instructed Fatema to reinvestigate the 13 flats but she did not, alleged the victims.
Without reinvestigation, Fatema on October 20 asked them to vacate their flats within 10 days which the aggrieved officers and employees found extremely inhumane.
"We didn't rent out our flats entirely. Many of us did not accommodate even a single sublet tenant. The Estate Manager cancelled my flat allotment whimsically," said one of them.
Another employee said, "If I would lose the flat for accommodating one sublet tenant, why over 200 officers and employees were forgiven who let one or two rooms? The laws should be same for all. I know that the university administration cancelled flat allotment of only those who rented out entire flats."
"I had suffered two strokes. I take medicines worth Tk 8,000 every month. I don't know where I will take shelter within 10 days," he added.
Another employee alleged that Fatema always quenched her personal vengeance with officers and employees whom she didn't like.
He alleged that his allotment was cancelled showing his wife as a sublet tenant in the flat.
"She is completely a corrupt officer," said at least two dozen of DU officers, talking to the Daily Observer.
The 13 officers and employees demanded reinstatement of their flat allotment.
Talking to the Daily Observer on Monday, Fatema denied any order from former Vice Chancellor Prof Kamal to reinvestigate the flats.
"I received no such order at that time. Maksud Kamal sir has left the administration. There is a new administration at the university now. We have taken action in the light of rules by the new administration," Fatema said.
On the contrary, one of the members of the investigation committee acknowledged that Prof Kamal at that time instructed to reinvestigate the 13 flats.
Asked if giving only ten days to vacate flats was practical, Fatema said, "Their flat allotment was cancelled on June 30. They are now using the flats illegally. It's not just ten days."
