The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) filed the GD with the Kotwali Police Station December 12 seeking legal action to stop the JNU authorities from demolishing an age-old building on the university premises.

Environmentalist group Paribesh Bachao Andolon also had filed a GD earlier protesting the JNU act but police have done nothing yet.

The Rajuk stated in the GD that the JNU action is in violation of Building Construction Act of 1952 (amended in 2006), Dhaka Metropolitan Building Construction Rules of 2006 and Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) of 1993.

The city development authorities also served a notice on November 23 asking the JNU authorities to refrain from demolishing the building, which the latter defied.

But both the steps have apparently gone in vain with the JNU continuing with its plan.

JNU Vice-chancellor and Project Director of the Establishment of Jagannath University Project (EJUP) Prof Sirajul Islam Khan told The Daily Star on November 7, "We have already completed demolition of the old building."

Second Officer of Kotwali Police Station Md Saidur Rahman said that he along with the officer-in-charge went to the JNU campus on Saturday.

But the vice-chancellor justified the authorities' act citing university rules and what the university engineers suggested in this regard, Saidur said.

"The VC also said that he has reached an understanding with the Rajuk chairman and that Rajuk will not serve further notice or go for any further actions," added Saidur.

"We cannot do much with mere a GD. Above all, a plaintiff has to file a case."

Authorised officer of Rajuk Nurul Islam said, "To my knowledge, there is no such understanding." He said they did not have discussion with the university authorities.

He said that Rajuk had filed the GD with police immediately after serving the first notice to the JNU authorities considering the gravity of the issue. Usually, they go for filing complaint with the police much later.

"We have not approved what they have been doing," said Islam. "We are going to serve the second notice."

Chairman of Rajuk KAM Haroon said, "We are dependent on the law-enforcement agency to enforce government instruction. Let's see what we can do next."

Architects and environmentalists alleged that the project authorities deliberately bypassed the mandatory prerequisite of obtaining Rajuk approval for building construction in compliance with the Building Construction Act of 1952, Dhaka Metropolitan Building Construction Rules of 2006 and the BNBC of 1993.

President of the Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB) Khadem Ali said that the JNU authorities are going on with the work in their own way in disregard to the pleas of all the agencies and professional bodies.

"But we too will keep our efforts on to prevent destruction of heritage properties," he said.