Apart from the safety at work places another main problem the labour class in Bangladesh faces is the excessive house rents they pay. This section of the lower and middle income people find it difficult to run their families. The extra money they spend on account of higher house rents just adds to their miseries. As there is no monitoring, the most part of the income of the working class is spent on excessive house rents.
Lakhs of people from rural Bangladesh are living in the capital city to scrape their living. The number is increasing as ever. But in the capital the housing facility is far lower than the demand. As a result, the house owners in the city charge house rents at will.
Though there is a law on house rent control, there is no implementation of it. The house owners take the scope to raise the house rents randomly every year. The 80 percent owners depend on house rents to run their families. If there is the slightest increase in the price of anything, the owners raise the rents.
Sources with the two Dhaka city corporations say they do not follow the house rent law in controlling the rents.
Sources say the two Dhaka city corporations have fixed the house rents depending on locations to realise taxes. The house rents were fixed in 775 areas under 10 zones of the city in 2007. For a residential building the house rent is Tk 4-12 per square feet. The city corporation has also set the rents for semi-pucca or half-pucca houses. Besides, the house rents have also been fixed in view of the distance from a main road. Based on those rates the house owners pay taxes. But they charge house rents far more than the fixed rates.
According to a survey of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh, the tenants in the city spend 40 percent of their income on house rents. Since the Independence the house rents have increased 2,000 per cent. Until 1990 it increased 321.06 percent and in 25 years 400 percent in the city.
According to the survey, 80 percent of the house owners depend on the rents to run their families and 28.36 percent misbehave with the tenants.
The house owners are not caring about the House Rent Control Act,1991. They enhance the rents by Tk 500-1000 every year.
According to the law, a house owner cannot evict a tenant, if he only wishes to. He also cannot take an advance against more than one month. The rent controllers of the city corporations will control the rents while the house owner and his tenant will decide the rate.
The law also stipulates that the house owner will provide a receipt copy on the payment of house rent every month. Before that, the two sides will sign a deed on tenancy detailing how and when the rent can be increased. The law also says there will be a separate electricity meter for the tenant and the copies of electricity, gas and water bills will be given to the tenant.
Talking to thereport24.com, Bharatia Parishad president Md Baharane Sultan said, “On the great May Day there are three main demands. They are—safety of life at work places, housing facility for the working class of people and no raise in house rents.”
He also said, “There is none to look after the issue of house rent. One is shifting the responsibility onto the shoulder of others. During the period of 20 years from 1991 to 2011 the house rents increased in the city more than 300 times. From 2011 to 2015 it increased many times. To address the problems the house rent control law should be updated.”
Talking to thereport24.com, Dhaka North City Corporation Chief Executive Officer BM Enamul Huq said, “Everybody living in rural Bangladesh or in the town is equal to the law. We do not follow the House Rent Act, 1991 in controlling the house rents. We impose holding taxes on buildings in the city corporation areas. We realise and receive holding taxes.”
He also said, “Holding tax is very important. In the last 28 years the holding tax was not increased. Now we are considering raising it. But no initiative has been taken yet in this connection.”
On behalf of the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), an organisation working on human rights and environment, Advocate Monjil Morshed filed a writ with the High Court seeking enforcement of the law on house rents.
When asked, Monjil Morshed told thereport24.com, “There are three reasons for not enforcing the law. Firstly, the people will have to be more aware about enforcement of the law. Secondly, the law stipulates that if any dispute cannot be settled, then it will be taken to court. This will cost money apart from the loss of time. So, the people are not interested in it. Thirdly, there are some incongruities in this law. They need to be addressed.”
He also said, “A writ has been filed with the High Court seeking enforcement of the law. The verdict is still not available. As soon as the verdict is made, we hope the people will get its benefit.”
On the other hand, the National Board of Revenue took an initiative last year to look into the accounts on house rent receipts. At that time it was decided that the house rents amounting to more than Tk 25,000 would be taxable. Later 10 directives were issued relating to house rents. But this initiative of the NBR still did not see the light of the day. Resultantly, the government was getting taxes on house rents far lower that the exact amounts.
