‘Register Moon Cinema Hall property for Muktijodhha Trust’

Staff Correspondent:  The Appellate Division has ordered to register property of Moon Cinema Hall in favour of Muktijodhha Kalyan Trust.

The Appellate Division has also ordered to pay Tk 100 crore to Moon Cinema Hall owner by August 18 this year.

An appellate division bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order on Sunday.

Attorney General Mahbube Alam stood for the state and Barrister Ajmalul Hossain Kusi stood for the petitioner.

As part of a Court order, The Finance Ministry agreed to provide Tk 99 crore to the owner of Moon Cinema Hall but it did not pay in time.

The apex court ordered Muktijodhha Kalyan Trust and its managing director to pay the money in three installments to Maksudul Alam, currently managing director of Bangladesh Italian Marble Works Ltd.

Moon Cinema, which was located in Waize Ghat Road area of Dhaka, was handed over to the Freedom Fighters’ Welfare Trust during the Martial Law regime of 1975-79.

In its judgment on a writ petition, the High Court, in a landmark verdict on August 29, 2005, had declared illegal and void the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.

The court also directed the government to release Moon Cinema Hall in favour of the company and asked the government to take steps to release its property in its original form.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on February 2, 2010 upheld the High Court verdict with some observations and modifications.

Maksudul filed a contempt of court petition with the Supreme Court in January 2013 against the authorities concerned of the government and Muktijodhha Kalyan Trust for not executing its verdict.

risingbd/Dhaka/July 28, 2019/Mahadi/Mukul