AK Khan & Company fined Tk 10 million for hill cutting

AK Khan & Company has been fined Tk 10 million for cutting hills in Chittagong to build a five-star hotel.

Department of Environment slapped the fine on Tuesday following a hearing at its headquarters in Dhaka in presence of company’s executive director and general manager, says a department media release.

DoE Director for Chittagong Azadur Rahman Mallik told bdnews24.com they had sent a report on the project in the Batali Hill to its headquarters following visits to the site on June 2 and 7.

“The fine was imposed after a hearing held in the presence of AK Khan & Company officials. Department’s Director (Enforcement) Mohammad Alamgir ordered the fine following the hearing,” he said.

The DoE statement said AK Khan & Company had secured a no-objection certificate from the department on Nov 3 last year for the construction of a hotel.

“The no-objection was given with restrictions on hill or hillock cutting. But the AK Khan authorities have cut two hills in Batali Hill area without permission, flouting the conditions,” it said.

The statement said the company had inflicted irrecoverable losses on the environment by destroying biodiversity of the hills and their top soils.

AK Khan & Company General Manager (Human Resources and Administration) Osman Gani, however, told bdnews24.com: “We’re building the hotel with the permission of DoE and Chittagong Development Authority.”

“Our organisation is not cutting hills in that area. We’ve gone for shore piling to save the hills. Slapping of the fine is unfortunate,” he added.