ABSTRACT
T he bustees first grew up in residential areas where the Bengali elite made land available so that poor people, especially those who did work for them, could build their mud huts and pay a nominal rent. There was no systematic planning or infrastructure because, as far as the landowners were concemed, they were only renting out bare land. The bustees were seen as temporary abodes for persons who had not made a permanent commitment to town life, and it was expected that they would gradually give way to proper town development.
