From 1972 to 1996, Nakasi squatter Mohammed Sadiq Khan was worried that some day he would be forced leave the place he called home.

An article in The Fiji Times on May 1, 1996, reported that as a squatter, he admitted to living illegally at the Bangladesh settlement in Nakasi, Nausori.

But that worry was a thing of the past. Together, with the other squatters in the area, they had been promised lots by the Lands Department.

On April 30, director of Lands Albert Queet presented letters to the squatters which confirmed the allocation of the land to them.

Of the 63 families in the area, 50 were to remain in Nakasi while the remaining 13 were to be relocated to the Muanikoso settlement, in Narere.

Mr Queet said the Lands Department had sub-divided the land and in order for further development and it was important to relocate some of the squatters.

Even the squatters who were to remain at Nakasi had to move their houses back by several feet.

But the chairman of the Bangladesh Squatters Community, Mumtas Ali, said the residents did not mind this because this meant that they finally could call the land theirs.

The area was Crown Land and squatters were to have made annual payments.

The amount was still unclear but Mr Ali said the Lands Department had said it would be affordable.

This gesture by government was the result of years of negotiation by the squatters with the Lands Department.

When presenting the letters, Mr Queet said his department had investigated every squatter and found they were eligible for homes.

The first lot of squatters settled in the area in 1972 and many in the following years.

Mr Ali said since they were informed by the Lands Department that they would not be forced to leave, residents would take the opportunity to make bigger and better homes.

“There are many people who have had leaking homes and have not done anything because they were unsure of their future in the area.”

Mr Ali said the person who had played a major role in securing the area for them was their parliamentary representative Harnam Singh Golian.

“Mr Golian negotiated with the Lands Department on our behalf and helped us to become home owners.”

Mr Ali said there were no problems in acquiring the land.

“There was not a time when things looked bleak. We kept in close contact with the Lands Department and negotiated really hard.

“This was a commercial area but during the course of the negotiations we were informed by the Lands Department that it was rezoned to residential and shortly after that we were told we could stay.”

“It is a great achievement for the squatters and government.”

Mr Khan, who had been a squatter since 1972, said this was a dream come true.

“There are many old people who if they had to move would not have had any place to go.”

He said that for the children, “Bangladesh is the only home they know and with the schools within walking distance, the area is perfect”.

The only wait was for the remaining 13 families to move to the new settlement in Narere which Mr Ali says had been prepared for them by the Lands Department.

“We will help these families move, build their homes and settle in. It may be inconvenient for some but the bottom line is that now they will have a secure future.”

Mr Queet said this was the first phase of development and it would be a couple of months before the entire development was completed.