VIP guesthouse built on minister's compound

The VIP guesthouse built on the compound of Altaf Hossain Chowdhury's house in Kathal Tali village in Patuakhali. PHOTO: STAR

The six-room two storied bungalow was built in 2003-2004 financial year at a cost of about Tk 67 lakh, sources said. As per rule, a guest house has to be built either at district or at upazila headquarters.

"We built the guest house on special considerations", District Council Secretary Abdul Bareq told this correspondent when contacted.

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He became annoyed when asked why the guest house was built on the compound of the minister's house. He declined to talk further.

When contacted over cell phone during his visit to the area recently, Minister Altaf Hossain said, "I want to develop this area. "Not only the dak-bungalow, I want to establish school, collage, mosque, temple, hat-bazar in the area to change the village.

"I also have a plan to set up another modern dak-bungalow at Mirzaganj upazila headquarters at a cost Tk 1.50 crore," he said.

Some local people alleged that the circuit house is used by the minister's relatives and for holding arbitration meetings.

The minister denied the allegation. "Foreigners use the guest house when they come to the area and I pay the rent from my pocket", he said.