HC issues contempt rule against CPA chairman, four others

The High Court (HC) on Sunday issued a contempt of court rule against the chairman of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and four other officials over a move to lease out land of the Karnaphuli River, allegedly in violation of its earlier directives.
In the rule, the court asked the officials to explain why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against them for defying its previous orders.
The five officials are CPA Chairman SM Moniruzzaman, Additional Secretary (Administration) Md Habibur Rahman, Member (Finance) Md Shahidul Alam, Member (Engineering) Commodore Kausar Rashid, and Assistant Manager of the port authority's estate department Mohammad Rayan Uddin.
The HC bench of Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Md Ashif Hasan issued the rule following a contempt petition filed by rights organisation Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB).
The court ordered maintenance of status quo on all further activities relating to land under the Firingi Bazar Mouza of the river.
Lawyer Manzill Murshid, who appeared at the hearing on behalf of HRPB, said the High Court had earlier issued several directives instructing the authorities to protect the Karnaphuli River in line with official survey records.
He said that despite those directives, the CPA decided to lease out a portion of the river-recorded as river land in the official survey-to the Chattogram City Corporation.
During the hearing, Manzill Murshid submitted that the court had earlier directed the authorities to evict illegal structures along the riverbanks, safeguard the river according to its demarcated boundaries, and take action under the Water Bodies Conservation Act against any move inconsistent with the river's legal status.

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