Questions emerge as furniture shop occupies Rajshahi Freedom Fighter Complex during local fair
The Rajshahi Metropolitan Freedom Fighter Complex, a state-funded facility intended to honor the legacy of national veterans, has become the center of a controversy after being converted into a makeshift commercial storefront during a local festival. For the past three weeks, an out-of-town furniture merchant has operated a retail outlet from the ground floor of the 2,216-square-foot building, which was built at a cost of over 2.5 million taka and inaugurated only last year.
The unauthorized use of the building has sparked concerns regarding transparency and administrative accountability. While small-scale street vendors in the surrounding Sagarpara area are reportedly paying up to 15,000 taka in fees to secure festival stall space, the furniture business currently occupying the government-funded complex appears to be operating rent-free. An individual managing the stall claimed that local freedom fighters had permitted the usage, though the claim remains unverified by official channels.
Key government stakeholders, including the district administration and the city corporation, have disavowed any knowledge of the arrangement. Mohammad Sabur Ali, the Additional Deputy Commissioner, and Abul Saleh Md. Nur-e-Sayeed, the Chief Revenue Officer of the Rajshahi City Corporation, both confirmed they had no involvement in authorizing the occupancy of the building. The City Corporation clarified that while it manages the rental of the adjacent public roads for the festival, the jurisdiction over the Freedom Fighter Complex lies elsewhere.
Monira Khatun, the Deputy Director of the Department of Social Services and member-secretary of the complex’s management committee, initially denied that the building was intended for commercial use or that a rental agreement existed. Despite a pledge to investigate the site following an inquiry on July 22, the commercial activity continued unabated through the final day of the festival this Saturday. Multiple attempts to reach Khatun for further comment were unsuccessful.
The facility has been largely dormant since August 5, 2024, when it sustained significant damage and looting during civil unrest. Constructed under a Ministry of Liberation War Affairs project and handed over to local authorities in July 2023, the three-story building was designed as a hub for veterans. Abdus Samad, the convener of the Rajshahi Metropolitan Freedom Fighter Sangsad, has denied receiving any funds or having any role in the decision to lease the space, leaving the identity of the unauthorized landlord and the destination of any potential illicit proceeds unknown.
