The High Court (HC) on Sunday imposed a ban on all activities including earth-filling of three housing companies -- Zam Zam Noor City, SA Housing and Sugandha Housing -- for their unapproved housing projects near Bamni Khal (canal) at Savar in Dhaka.
The bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Atabullah issued the directive and rule following a writ petition filed by six rights organizations and an urban planner Prof Adil Muhammad Khan seeking necessary directives to protect the Bamni Khal.
Other six organizations are -- Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), Nijrea Kori, Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD), Manobadhikar Sangskriti Foundation (MSF), Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) and Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST).
In response to the petition, the court ordered the authorities concerned to submit a report on how much land of the canal, which is flowing through Chandunia, Konda and Kandiboliarpur Mouzas in Savar, has been filled up to it.
Chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), Director Generals of the Department of Environment (DoE) and Water Development Board and Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka have been asked to prepare the report.
The HC also issued a rule asking the officials concerned of the government to explain as to why their failure to protect Bamni Khal and its adjacent water-bodies and farmlands from the earth-filling by Zam Zam Noor City, SA Housing and Sugandha Housing for unapproved housing projects should not declared illegal and detrimental to public interest.
The DoE had fined Tk 2.3 million to Zam Zam Noor City on October 21, 2021 and Rajuk had fined it Tk 0.5 million on September 20 last year, but the company has continued its activities, the petitioners said in the petition.
Lawyer Syeda Rizwana Hasan assisted by lawyer Shamima Nasrin appeared for the petitioners, while Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy represented the state during the hearing of the petition.
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