Keep Mouchak Market open for 6 weeks: SC

Staff Correspondent: Staying a High Court (HC) order that directed to shut all shops at Mouchak Market in city as the building that houses the market became unsafe, the Supreme Court (SC) ordered to keep Mouchak Market open for next six weeks.

Chamber Judge Mirza Hossain Haider passed the order on Tuesday.

The bench of Justice Quamrul Islam Siddique and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil gave the order following a petition that challenged the legality of an order issued by the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) for repairing the building.

Earlier on Monday, the High Court directed the authorities concerned to keep the shops at Dhaka`s Mouchak market closed until a certificate is received under the building code after the market is repaired.

Based on a report prepared by Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in September last year, Rajuk sent a letter to the market owner on May 2 this year asking to vacate the shops and repair the market immediately as it became risky.

Ashraf Kamal Pasha, the owner of the market, filed the petition challenging the legality of Rajuk`s letter last Thursday.

Later, the SC ordered to keep Mouchak Market open for next six weeks after hearing on Sunday and Monday.

risingbd/Dhaka/June 7, 2016/Mehedi/Amirul