People inquire about housing projects at a stall at the five-day REHAB Fair at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka after its inauguration on Wednesday. — New Age photo

The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha chairman, Nurul Huda, on Wednesday boycotted the inauguration ceremony of ‘REHAB Fair 2012’ following the declaration by the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh that it would not tolerate ‘interference of RAJUK’ in the fair.
The five-day ‘REHAB Fair 2012’ began on Wednesday at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city.
The REHAB at a press conference on Friday said it would not allow ‘meddling’ by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha in its five-day housing fair.
The REHAB also sent a letter to the city development authority informing that it would not allow RAJUK to have a stall at the fair to oversee whether illegal projects were being traded in the fair.
Though the RAJUK chairman was invited to the inauguration ceremony held at the conference centre, he did not turn up on account of his ‘preoccupation’. 
‘I informed the REHAB beforehand that I would not be able to make time to attend the ceremony due to my busy schedule,’ Nurul Huda told New Age.
When his attention was drawn to REHAB’s declaration that it would not allow RAJUK to interfere in the fair, the RAJUK chairman said the authorities will continue to oversee whether illegal projects are being traded in the fair.
‘Their notice is immaterial to us. We would abide by the law. The law has empowered us to take action against the illegal projects and we will do that,’ said Nurul Huda.
Nurul Huda said a RAJUK team will visit the fair to see whether any illegal projects are being showcased for trading in the fair.
RAJUK member (planning) Sheikh Abdul Mannan said only a total of 26 housing projects of a few companies have got the approval from the RAJUK.
But as much as 219 real estate and developer companies were showcasing several hundred projects in the fair.
The fair will remain open from 10:00am to 8:00pm.
A total of 226 companies are displaying models of their projects in 250 stalls while 219 real estate and developer companies, 6 building material suppliers and 1 financial institution are taking part in the REHAB Fair 2012. Among them 15 are co-sponsors.
Inaugurating the fair, the state minister for housing and public works, Abdul Mannan Khan, asked the real estate companies ‘to do business honestly’ and not ‘to deceive people’.