Remove illegal structures from Hatirjheel in 7 days: HC

The High Court (HC) on Monday directed the authorities concerned to remove all unplanned structures built in Hatirjheel-Begunbari Project area in Dhaka within seven days. An HC-bench, comprising Justice MdNazrul Islam Talukder and Justice K M Hafijul Alam, passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB). The court also issued a rule, asking the authorities concerned to explain in four weeks why they should not be directed to protect the Hatirjheel-Begunbari project according to the layout plan.

The public works secretary, the chief executive officer of Dhaka South City Corporation, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) chairman, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner, Hatirjheel Police Station OC and the project director have been asked to respond to the rule in four weeks.
 
During the hearing, petitioner's counsel Advocate Monjil Morshed told the court that some structures including restaurants have been built illegally in the area beyond the layout plan of the project. Those structures have been creating obstruction to the free movement of people in the project area and have damaged the beauty of the project. Though these illegal structures were built in open view of the public, RAJUK had not taken any action against them.

Monjil Morshed attached related reports published in some newspapers on August 1 to substantiate his claim and prayed to the court to pass necessary orders to protect the Hatirjheel-Begunbari project. The HC instructed the RAJUK chairman, the DMP commissioner, the Hatirjheel Police Station OC and the project director to ensure regular supervision of the area to prevent the construction of illegal structures. The relevant officials are to submit a report on the progress in implementing the court's instructions within two weeks, Monjil Morshed told journalists.