Notice served to Rajuk for demolishing BGMEA building

Staff Correspondent: A contempt of court notice has been served to the chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) to take steps for demolishing the multi-storied building of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) within seven days.

Advocate Manzil Morshed sent the notice by a registered post on Thursday.

According to the notice, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) might bring a contempt of court allegation against the Rajuk chairman if he failed to take steps within seven days.

Earlier on March 5, the Appellate Division ordered the BGMEA to file a petition to the SC by March 9 asking about how much time it will take for the demolition of the building.

On the same day, a three-member Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha dismissed the petition filed by BGMEA seeking review of its judgement that upheld a High Court order for demolishing the BGMEA building illegally built on the capital's Begunbari canal and Hatirjheel lake.

BGMEA, the apex body of the garments manufacturers of the country, filed the review petition on 8 December last year after the Supreme Court, in its full verdict released on November 8, ordered authorities to bring down illegal BGMEA building in Hatirjheel area immediately at its own cost.

While passing the order, a four-member bench of the Appellate Division asked the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) to knock down the illegal building in 90 days if BGMEA does not take any step to demolish it.

Earlier in April 2011, the High Court ordered the authorities to demolish the building in the Begunbari-Hatirjheel canal within three months, saying it was built on a land acquired through forgery and earth-filled the water body illegally. Later, the SC stayed the HC order following a petition filed by the BGMEA.

risingbd/DHAKA/Mar 9, 2017/Mehedi/Amirul