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From 1972 to 1996, Mohammed Sadiq Khan, a squatter in Nakasi, lived in fear that one day he would be forced to leave the place he called home.
an article Fiji Times On 1 May 1996, the report stated that he admitted to being an illegal resident in the Bangladeshi settlement at Nausori Nakasi illegally.
But those fears are a thing of the past. They, along with other illegal settlers in the area, have been given land promised by the land department.
On April 30, land director Albert Queet handed over letters to the illegal occupants confirming the allotment of the land to them.
Of the 63 families in the area, 50 will remain in Nakasi while the remaining 13 will be relocated to the Muanikoso settlement in Narere.
Mr Quitt said the land department had subdivided the land and it was important to relocate some of the illegal occupants in order to develop it further.
Even those illegal occupants who remained in Nakasi had to move their houses back a few feet.
But Mumtas Ali, president of the Bangladeshi squatters’ community, said residents did not mind this as it meant they could finally call the land their own.
The area is Crown land and squatters are required to pay annual fees.
While the amount is not yet clear, Mr Ali said the land department has said it can afford it.
The government’s move is the result of years of negotiations between illegal settlers and the land department.
In handing over the letters, Mr. Quitt said his department had investigated every illegal occupant and found them eligible for housing.
The first illegal settlers settled in the area in 1972, and more followed in the following years.
Mr Ali said residents would take the opportunity to build bigger and better homes as they had been told by the land department that they would not be forced to leave.
“Many people have leaks in their homes but they are not doing anything about it because they are unsure about their future in the area.”
Mr Ali said the person who played an important role in ensuring security in the area was their parliamentary representative Khanam Singh Golyan.
“Mr Golian negotiated with the land department on our behalf and helped us become homeowners.”
Mr Ali said there was no problem in acquiring the land.
“The situation never looked that bad. We were in close contact with the land department and had very tough negotiations.
“It was originally a commercial area, but during the negotiation process the land department informed us that it was being rezoned as residential, and shortly after that we were told we could stay.”
“It’s a great achievement for the squatters and the government.”
Mr Khan, who has lived illegally since 1972, said it was his dream come true.
“Many elderly people would have nowhere to go if they had to move.”
For the children, he said, “Bangladesh is their only home and the area is perfect with schools all within walking distance”.
The only wait is for the remaining 13 families to move to the new settlement in Narere, which Mr Ali said the land department had prepared for them.
“We will help these families move, build homes and settle down. It may be inconvenient for some, but the most important thing is that now they will have a secure future.”
Mr Queet said this was the first phase of the development and the entire development would take several months to complete.
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