The High Court on Wednesday declared illegal the landfilling activities in agricultural lands, water bodies and parts of the Meghna river at different areas of Sonargaon upazila in Narayanganj in the names of Sonargaon Resort City and Sonargaon Economic Zone.
The HC bench of Justice Md Ashraful Kamal and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil delivered the verdict after holding hearing on a writ petition filed in this regard.
The two companies are owned by Noor Ali, managing director of Unique Group.
The HC bench also ordered the Department of Environment (DoE) and local administration of Sonargaon and Narayanganj to take necessary steps to restore the farmlands and wetlands there in six months.
While delivering the verdict, the HC observed that grabbing farmlands and wetlands by Sonargaon Resort City and Sonargaon Economic Zone at six moujas in Sonargaon area near the bank of the Meghna river is appalling, as they were done in violation of the relevant laws and directives issued by the HC and Appellate Division of the Supreme Court at different times.
Citing the government documents, the court said the business conglomerate has filled-up agricultural lands and wetlands in Pirojpur, Jainpur, Chhoyhissa, Charbhobonathpur, Batibandha and Ratanpur moujas in Sonargaon upazila, first in the name of a resort city and later as a private economic zone.
The court directed the DoE and the local administration to probe into the incidents of grabbing lands and earth fillings by Sonargaon Resort City and Sonargaon Economic Zone and other organisations or persons, and to give proper compensation to the owners of the lands. Around 1,868 bighas of farmlands and wetlands at six moujas in Sonargoan have been grabbed, the HC said.
The HC bench said any company has to apply to the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) for establishing an economic zone in line with the Bangladesh Economic Zone Act, 2010 after obtaining clearance certificates from the DoE and other government offices.
Md Noor Ali's companies can submit a fresh application for permission from Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority to establish an economic zone in accordance with the law, the HC said.
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