Darul Ihsan Trust wants to grab Tk 7cr university building

"The trust had signed a contract of Tk 7 crore with me to buy the building for establishing the university, but without paying the money, the trust is now threatening to kill me," said Shawkat Hossain, owner of the house, at a press briefing at Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium.

He said the trustees paid him Tk 1.75 crore as first instalment to purchase the building and promised to pay the rest by April as per the contract.

"But of the initial instalment, the trust took back Tk 1.25 crore from me tactfully in the name of involving me as a donor to the university," he said.

Shawkat said the trustees pledged to pay the money by February 28 and later extended the date to April 30 this year.

"Thus the two factions of the trust attempted to grab my house without paying the rest money," he alleged.

Shawkat said after paying initial instalment, the trust started activities of the English department on the fourth and fifth floors of his building at Mohammadpur.

"After a few days they occupied more rooms without my permission," he added.

“As part of their ill attempt, they also issued threats to kill me if I do not leave the country forever,” said Shawkhat who claimed that he is a cancer patient.

He also alleged that a group of hooligans stormed his house on different occasions identifying them as the men of state minister for home and asked him to leave the country or face death.

“One of them also identified him as a nephew of local lawmaker, but I don't know which is true,” said Shawkat, owner of the house at 22/10 Babar Road.

He alleged that Darul Ihsan trustees use religion to cover their ill deeds and the recent race in the university to grab the post of the vice- chancellor is also linked to grabbing his building.

In reply to a question Shawkat told the reporters that university Registrar Abdul Malek himself told him to leave the country.

"Abdul Malek also threatened me to hand over the building to the trust," he further alleged.

Replying to another question he said if the trustees pay full money as per contract, he would register the house in the name of the trust.

"But if they are unable to pay the money, they will have to leave my house immediately," he added.

Shaon Reza and Sekandar Ali Moni, brothers of Shawkat Hossain, were present at the press briefing.

When asked about the allegations, Syed Ali Naki, vice- chancellor of Darul Ihsan University and leader of a faction of the trust, accused the owner of cheating the trust.

The owner manipulated original design of the building by adding another three floors on a three-storey base, he told The Daily Star last night.

"We paid Tk 3 crore and stopped paying the rest when we were informed of the faults of the building," he added.

Zahirul Alam, personal officer of MA Rafiq Khan (who leads another faction of the trust and claims himself as vice-chancellor of the university) told The Daily Star that they would make full payment to the owner.He also blamed the administration of Syed Ali Naki for the crisis.