Ironically, four to five of them were the co-sponsors of the Rehab Fair-2006 held at Sheraton Hotel during February 20-24. Rehab held another housing fair in Chittagong (March 8-10) with the same developers as co-sponsors.

Advertisement, sale or display of plots and flats of an unapproved private housing project is a punishable offence as per the Private Housing Land Development Rules of 2004.

At the inaugural ceremony of the five-day Rehab Fair-2006, Abdul Awal, president of the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (Rehab), called upon all the housing developers not to put on display any plots or flats with no government approval.

Before the fair, the Rehab president also told this correspondent: "In case plot developers insist on displaying unauthorised projects in the housing fair, I will ask the Rehab office bearers to take measures so that they cannot take part in it."

Interestingly, the Rehab president on March 4 said that it was impossible for them, "for one reason or other," to bar those housing developers from participating in the fair, as the decisions regarding the fair were taken much earlier.

Awal said, "It is the government that has to take legal action against the developers of unauthorised housing projects." As per the article of association, Rehab has no mandate to take action against the errant developers in the association.

Housing and Public Works Adviser Mainul Hosein at the inauguration of fair asked the developers to comply strictly with the Private Housing Land Development Rules of 2004, Building Rules of 2006 and Building Code of 1993.

Rajuk Chairman KAM Haroon has said recently that none of the ongoing private housing projects has so far obtained approval under the rules of 2004.

The housing projects undertaken before the rules of 2004 but are now under implementation have to obtain approval under the rules that also require that any extension or continuation of a completed project has to be approved by Rajuk.

According to some insiders of Rehab, the association is presently thinking how to disassociate with the quarters engaged in illegal activities in the housing sector.

Rehab is going to hold similar housing fair, targeting the Bangladesh expatriates, in London and Rome in May next, in Los Angles and New York in August and in Sydney in October, according to Rehab sources.

A top office bearer of Rehab seeking anonymity said that no housing land developers with unapproved projects will be allowed to take part in the international fairs.

"In case there is no land developer with an approved project, no developer will take part in the fair," he said. Even those apartment builders having credibility crisis and the unknown ones will be excluded from the fair.

He further said there are many unknown apartment builders taking Rehab membership just to avail the opportunity of taking part in the housing fair.