Lowering property and shop rents simply by 50pc demanded
An organisation named 'Bharatia Parishad,' on Sunday called for reducing the prevailing house rents and store rents by 50 % in order that the tenants on the country including the capital could overcome the coronavirus pandemic.
Representatives of the organisation also raised a good three-level demand with the federal government.
The demands include (i) Lowering the existing house rents and store rents by 50 %; if necessary, the government will have to present incentives to the home owners; house rents can't be raised in the new time, and tenants also cannot be asked to keep demonstrating any excuses; (ii) Electricity, water and gas bills of the tenants will have to be waived from this time; and (iii) The federal government must bear all the bills of treatment of coronavirus contaminated tenants, and must give priority to vaccinate the tenants following the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines.
In his written statement, 'Bharatia Parishad' president Baharane Sultan Bahar explained the global economy was badly damaged by coronavirus. Except the export-oriented sectors, all the sectors of the economy and trade incurred enormous losses because of coronavirus panic, government holidays, social distance and restrictions on activity.
He said many tenants were evicted from many places including the capital Dhaka because they cannot pay their rents with time. Besides, their valuables and various other goods were recinded in inhuman ways. Also, lots of the tenants started to be the victims of manhandling. "We demand a good investigation in to the repression on tenants and exemplary punishment of the individuals responsible," he said.
The press conference was also attended by Workers Party's Dhaka city president Abul Hossain, Samyabadi Dal basic secretary Comrade Harun Chowdhury, Bharatia Parishad central leaders Kiron Mridha, Maksudur Rahman, Jamal Sikder, Akkas Ali, Antar Rahman, Shahjahan Siraj, Kamrul Hasan Tushar, Sampad Kabir, Lovely Akter, Prof Abul Kashem, Fouzia Hasan Lipi, Azam Molla and Tuhin Chowdhury, amongst others.
