Rickshawvans carrying furniture and household items, a sign that a city dweller is changing residence.Photo: STAR

The house owners in the port city of Chittagong increase house rent every year arbitrarily, ignoring the tenants' opinion.
They take advantage of influx of the people coming to the city from the rural and suburban areas in search of work.
A good number of people also come to the city to enroll their children to the reputed educational institutions. All these add up to the accommodation crisis in the city. In most of the cases, these people are helpless as the house owners demand excessive rent from them.
The house owners in the city increase the rent without any specific cause at the beginning of every year. They harass the tenants in many ways if anyone refuses to comply with the enhanced rent.
Many tenants alleged that a section of owners increase rent twice a year. Many others said owners increase the rent even up to 50 percent of the current rent that is quite illogical. The owners start harassing the tenants if they refuse to pay this increased portion of rent.
Tanvir Hasan, a resident of West Bakalia area, said the owners in one hand increase house rent illogically and on the other they do not give any receipt against the payment to the tenants to evade income tax.
Residents of DC Road area at Chawk Bazar alleged that a section of owners have increased house rent up to 50 percent although they pledged last year not to increase it by more than 10 percent for the coming year.
Some residents said the owners do not give receipt against the payment and forcibly took undertaking from the tenants for paying the enhanced house rent. They also threatened to evict the tenants if they fail to pay it.
Prof Shirin Akhter, a teacher of Chittagong University, was harassed by the house owner as she did not agree to pay the increased portion of house rent. The owner snapped the connections of water, electricity and gas of her house.
Tenants Welfare Association formed a human chain in front of Chittagong Press Club protesting the incident on October 21. They also protested the arbitrary increase in house rent and harassment to the tenants by the house owners.
Prof Shirin told the human chain programme that she urged the house owner to increase the rent reasonably but he created pressure on her to pay the amount he wished. The owner cut the water, electricity and gas supplies as she refused to pay the enhanced amount.
Chittagong Union of Journalists (CUJ) General Secretary Nazimuddin Shyamal said the city corporation has not been increasing the holding tax for the last 17 years but the house owners have continued to increase the house rent every year.
He urged the mayor and councillors for taking steps against the rampant increase of house rent every year.
When asked Ahmedul Hoque, estate officer of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC), said the city corporation has nothing to do with it. If anyone is harassed, he or she can go to court for legal action against the owner, he added.
Advocate Mahbubul Alam, general secretary of Chittagong District Bar Association, said the harassed tenants can seek legal action against the house owners under the House Rent Control Ordinance.
When asked Pritam Das, a house owner of Raja Pukur Lane area, said he had not increased the house rent violating the agreement with the tenants. But he admits that many house owners do not sign any contract with the tenants and increase the rent arbitrarily.