Legal notice on DCC mayor for failure to comply with HC order

Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa) and Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB) Tuesday served a legal notice upon the city Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka for having failed to comply with a High Court order to preserve the Dhanmondi playground.

A High Court (HC) division bench on 24 April 2004, following a writ petition No 1814 of 2004 filed jointly by Bapa and IAB, issued the order to DCC mayor.

The HC division bench directed the mayor to submit a report on whether Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) has taken over the Dhanmondi playground, located between roads N0 8 and 9 to the west of Mirpur road, and what steps it has taken to maintain and preserve it in accordance with the Open Space Protection Act 2000.

The HC bench also asked the mayor to clarify what actions DCC has taken to evict the unauthorised semi-pucca structures the Dhanmondi Club built on the said playground violating the Building Construction Act.

Notice of the court order was served on April 25, 2004 and the court asked the city mayor to submit the report within twenty days.

Apparently, the city mayor has not taken any steps during five and half a years till date to submit the report to the High Court, said the legal notice.

Barrister Sara Hossain of Dr Kamal Hossain and Associates in the legal notice called upon the mayor on behalf of the petitioners to comply with the HC order within one week.

In the event of failure to comply with the request, the petitioners would move an application for contempt proceedings, said the notice.

Bapa General Secretary Dr Md Abdul Matin and IAB President Mubasshar Hussein served the legal notice on November 10.

Regarding how Dhan mondi Club has been illegally occupying the playfield for five decades and renting it out for commercial purposes under the very nose of DCC, Khoka told The Daily Star yesterday, “I do not know about it.”