Structures on Turag: SC stays HC demolition order

The Supreme Court yesterday stayed a High Court order that earlier directed the authorities concerned to demolish the structures set up along the foreshore of the river Turag at different places in Gazipur.

The Appellate Division of the SC also asked the HC bench led by Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury to hear and dispose of the rule on this issue by February 28.

The five-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah, who is performing functions of the chief justice, passed the order after hearing a petition filed by owners of 10 structures seeking a stay on the HC order.

Advocate Prabir Neogi, a lawyer for the owners of 10 structures, told The Daily Star that the authorities cannot demolish the structures following the stay order.

The apex court stayed the HC order on the ground that the HC directive for demolishing the structures was “very extreme”, as a rule over this issue was pending, he added.

The chief judicial magistrate of Gazipur in October last year submitted a probe report before the HC, saying that 30 structures were set up illegally along the foreshore, Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) lawyer Manzill Murshid was quoted as saying.

The HRPB had filed a writ petition with the HC on November 7, 2016, a day after The Daily Star ran a report headlined “Time to declare Turag dead”.

Following the petition, the HC on November 9, 2016 year directed the government to stop earth-filling, encroachment and construction of structures along the foreshores and also issued the rule upon the authorities concerned to explain as to why their inaction in stopping such activities should not be declared illegal.

While hearing the rule, the court on January 5 last year directed the chief judicial magistrate to probe into the matter and submit a report.