‘No construction on Siddheswari School ground’

The High Court in an order on Wednesday prohibited the construction of any structure on the Siddheswari Boys’ School and College playground.

The Bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and AMB Altaf Hossain gave the order after a primary hearing on a writ petition.

The court has asked why the decision to lease out the ground to Toma Group should not be declared illegal.

Engineer Aminul Islam, president of the Siddheswari apartment and house owners' body, filed the petition in March.

Secretary for the Local Government, Secretary for Education, Dhaka Deputy Commissioner, the college Principal, chairman of the institution's governing body and the Toma Group have been asked to reply within four weeks.

Yunus Ali Akhand represented the petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Biswajit Roy appeared for the state.

Yunus Ali said the lease period was from Jan 21, 2013 to Jan 21, 2015 during which time the field was to be used for keeping machinery meant for the Mogbazar flyover construction.

But rules binding on governing bodies of private secondary and higher secondary schools do not allow its members to transfer school property.

“A legal notice was sent to the government seeking the cancellation of the lease agreement. This has violated the constitutional rights of the people living in that area,” Ali said.

He said majority consent of the governing body members had not been sought before giving the lease.

“Besides the school and college students, children of the locality also use the playground. The prayers for the two Eids are held here. Funeral prayers are held here as well. But these engagements are being hampered because of the lease.”