Dhaka, Jan 25 (bdnews24.com) – The High Court has ordered the government to remove all illegal structures from the Gulshan Lake area within two months to save it from encroachment and pollution.
The bench of justices A H M Shamsuddin Choudhury and Jahangir Hossain passed the order on Wednesday after holding a hearing on a suo moto rule.
The court ordered capital Dhaka's development agency Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha to conduct the demolition drive.
The deputy commissioner (DC) and district magistrate of Dhaka was asked to assist Rajuk in the drive while the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner was ordered to provide logistic support.
The court also directed Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL), the state-owned company which was allotted a land in the lake area, to follow the order by demarking the border of the lake within 60 days.
The government has to submit a report to the High Court by March 30 on the execution of the order.
The High Court in a rule on July 14, 2010 directed the government to announce the Gulshan-Banani lake an "environmentally critical area" and put an end to dumping of all kinds of waste into it to save it from pollution.
After the Wednesday hearing, the court ordered the secretaries of the environment, local government and land ministries, Dhaka DC, Dhaka WASA Water Supply & Sewerage Authority managing director and BTCL managing director to submit a compliance report by Feb 28.
BTCL managing director Abu Syed Khan and Rajuk chairman Nurul Huda appeared before the court on Wednesday.
Ajmalul Hossain argued the case for Gulshan Society during the hearing while deputy attorney general barrister A B M Altaf Hossain appeared for the state.
On Jan 17, following a report in Bengali daily Prothom Alo, the court, in a suo moto rule, directed the Rajuk chief and its authorised officer for Gulshan zone to appear before and explain why they had not protected the land around the lake.
It also issued a rule asking the Rajuk chairman and other officials to state the steps they had taken to prevent further encroachment on the lake and why they should not be directed to protect it.
According to media report, a dam over five bighas of land was built across the lake, dividing it in the middle. Several tin-shed houses have also been erected along the dam by claiming the land ownership.
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