Shajahan Khan served legal notice for obstructing protection of 4 Dhaka rivers
Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh yesterday served separate legal notices on the shipping minister and two high officials for creating obstruction in the implementation of a High Court directive for protecting four rivers from encroachment and pollution.
The rights organisation sent the notices to Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, Shipping Secretary Monjurul Islam and Assistant Secretary Md Hafizur Rahman.
The HC on June 25, 2009 ordered to build pillars on the bank of the Turag, Balu, Buriganga and Shitalakkhya rivers after marking the boundary through surveys.
According to previous HC and Supreme Court directives, surveys had been completed in Cadastral Survey (CS) and Revisional Survey (RS) methods, Advocate Manzill Murshid, who issued the notices on behalf of the HRPB, said in a statement yesterday.
But Amin and Momin Company Ltd, referring to a notice issued on October 19 by the shipping ministry, on Tuesday during hearing of a case, told the HC that the government is skeptic about the survey result and the ministry in its 25th taskforce meeting decided to get direction from the HC about fresh survey under CS or RS or BS (Bangladesh Survey), the statement added.
The advocate also said the ministry's move to get new survey had been taken with a malafide intention, and it will frustrate the HC verdict and will obstruct implementation of its directives, which is tantamount to contempt of court.
The shipping ministry notice read direction from the HS will be taken on which method -- CS, RS or BS -- will be followed in erecting pillars in the disputed places on the four rivers.
The minister and two officials have been requested in yesterday's notices to withdraw the decision within 24 hours, otherwise a contempt of court petition will be filed against them, Manzil added.
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