Swapnolok Housing Scam Victims Protest in Munshiganj

Victims of an alleged real estate scam formed a human chain in Sirajdikhan upazila, demanding immediate legal action against Swapnolok Housing Company.

The protest, attended by defrauded customers and local residents, took place in front of the company's site office in the Mirzakanda area of Kayin Union on Tuesday evening.

Protesters alleged that Swapnolok Housing lured them with attractive real estate projects and collected massive sums of money. However, years have passed without any plots being handed over or any visible progress on the project site. Victims now claim the company never actually owned the land they were selling.

"I have been paying for a plot for almost four years," said Shilpi Akhter, one of the victims. "They kept stalling. We now know they don't even own the land; they showed us other people's property and cheated us. We can no longer even get in touch with them."

Another victim, Md. Boni, said his family booked five plots and paid approximately Tk 15 lakh. "Despite repeated urgings, they closed down the site office without delivering our plots. We cannot even reach them at their main office in Jurain, Dhaka. Instead of returning our money, they have threatened us."

Similarly, Manjura Begum reported paying around Tk 11 lakh for three plots booked four years ago on behalf of a relative, only to realize the company had disappeared with their savings.

The allegations of fraud were corroborated by former employees. Local resident Zahirul Islam and former Union Parishad Member Moazzem Sheikh, who previously worked in the company's marketing department, stated they quit after realizing the scam. "When we found out they had no purchased land of their own, we resigned. We just want the victims to get their plots or their money back," Moazzem said.

Local resident Md. Lokman Sheikh noted that while the police have been informed and a court case has been filed, the culprits remain out of reach due to their local influence.

Other protesters present included Md. Fayez, Delwar Hossain, and Shah Alam. The victims urged the local administration to intervene, investigate the fraud, and ensure their funds are returned. They also announced plans to submit a formal memorandum to the relevant authorities.

Attempts to contact Abdur Rouf, the owner of Swapnolok Housing, for a comment were unsuccessful as his mobile phone was switched off.