High Court bars cattle market in Aftabnagar

A writ case was filed with the High Court on Apr 30 over the issue

The High Court has stayed a lease notice allowing the setting up of a sacrificial animal market in Aftabnagar in the capital for three months. At the same time, a rule has been issued asking why the Dhaka South City Corporation's notice should not be declared illegal and scrapped.

A bench of Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque and Justice Aynun Nahar Siddiqua passed the order on Sunday after hearing a petition on the matter.

The concerned parties, including the local government secretary and the chief property officer of Dhaka South City Corporation, have been asked to respond to the rule within four weeks.

The Dhaka South City Corporation issued a lease notice on Apr 21 to set up temporary animal markets in 11 places in the capital ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. Then, on Apr 24, Supreme Court lawyer Yunus Ali Akand sent a legal notice asking for the animal market not to be set up in Aftabnagar.

The lawyer filed a petition in the High Court on Apr 30 after not receiving a response to the notice. He conducted the hearing on behalf of the writ himself. Deputy Attorney General Badiuzzaman Tapadar stood on behalf of the state.

Lawyer Akand said, “Last year, the High Court had stayed the decision to set up a cattle market in the Aftabnagar residential area in a petition. The court also issued a rule. Later, the defendant party appealed to the Appellate Division seeking a stay of the High Court order.”

“The Appellate Division then dismissed the petition and upheld the High Court’s stay order. In this situation, issuing a lease notice to set up a cattle market in Aftabnagar is tantamount to contempt of court.”