Shamsul Alam, superintendent engineer of Public Works Department under the ministry took the charge from Deputy Secretary of Parliament Secretariat Habibur Rahman.

Shamsul told The Daily Star that they inspected 15 flats yesterday and found the furniture there in good condition.

The ministry would take over the charges of all the NAM flats in phases, sources said.

There are 344 flats in 11 NAM buildings located in the city's Manik Mia Avenue and Nakhalpara. Of them, 324 flats were allocated to the lawmakers of the eighth parliament and the rest were allotted to the members and officials of the Special Security Force and the Anti-Corruption Commission.

The flats are equipped with air-conditioner, television, refrigerator, computer, table, chair and other necessary furniture.

At present, the flats of 34 former lawmakers and ministers are lying vacant, as they are facing trial. Some other flats, belonging to the former lawmakers now on the run, are also unoccupied.

Although the flats had been used by the MPs themselves or by their relatives, no representative of the MPs or their relatives handed over the charges of the flats to Parliament Secretariat.

Since there is no parliament at the moment and no possibility of holding elections soon, the government is thinking about renting out the vacant flats to the government officials for their temporary accommodation.