Many people living in sublets on government property, usually rented out by government employees from their own allotted quarters find themselves in great difficulty, scrambling to find new homes after being ordered to vacate their current residences at extremely short notice - in most cases just three to 10 days.

The Azimpur Government Staff Quarters in the capital, aka Azimpur Government Colony, is perhaps home to the highest number of these sublets, with hundreds affected by the order issued by the Department of Government Housing under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.

Most affected tenants are students and working people, who say the sudden order to vacate has put them under considerable pressure, forcing them to search for alternative accommodation while managing their studies and jobs.

For many, finding a suitable home and moving out in such a short time presents a major challenge.

A tenant named Sadia said she had been living in her present quarters for the past three months but was asked to leave at short notice, leaving her in a difficult situation.

The Directorate of Government Accommodation under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works issued an urgent public notice on the matter on October 29, signed by Directorate Director Md. Jahirul Islam Khan.

The notice said a recent report by the directorate's inspection team found that some allottees had sublet or rented out one or two rooms, or the entire house or flat allotted in their names.

It said such practices go against the Bangladesh Allotment Rules, 1982.

Allottees have therefore been instructed not to sublet or rent out any part of their allotted homes. Where this has already been done, the tenant or sublessee must leave by October 31, and the allottee must reside in the home allotted in his or her name.