HC rejects Rajuk's fifth amended land-use proposal

The fifth amended land-use proposal by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) for Purbachal New Town project in Gazipur was rejected as its implementation will damage the ecology and environment, High Court ruled yesterday.

The bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal delivered the verdict after disposing of a petition filed by Rajuk, seeking necessary directive in favour of the new proposal.

Earlier on March 11, 2014 the HC approved the fourth land-use plan and directed Rajuk authorities not to bring any change to it without the court's permission.

On November 11 this year, Rajuk filed a petition with the HC seeking its approval on the draft of the fifth amended land-use-proposal.

In the petition, Rajuk said that the new proposal is being pledged to bring consistency between the previous plan and Private Land Development Rules 2004 (Revised 2015).

The amended plan will have more area for open grounds and parks compared to the previous plan, Rajuk's petition also said.

Meanwhile, seven rights organisations, including Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela), opposed the petition filed by Rajuk.

In a petition, filed jointly by the organisations, they claimed that Rajuk was taking away school playgrounds and allocating the land to residential, commercial, health and research structures, by breaching the HC rule of 2014.

Bela also argued that Private Land Development Rules 2004 (Revised 2015) does not apply to Rajuk.

“Rajuk's move to amend the fourth land-use-plan to make it consistent with the revised private land development rules is absurd,” Bela's press release said.

It has been initiated only to legalise the construction of three new proposed commercial buildings, which was not included in the previous plan, Bela claimed.

The court ruled in favour of Bela and dismissed the petition by Rajuk, saying that Private Land Development Rules 2004 (Revised 2015) does not apply.

It also said that the new plan proposed by Rajuk is contrary to the HC verdict of  March 11, 2014. 

Advocate Syed Rizwana Hasan and Advocate Sayeed Ahmed Kabir appeared for the rights organisations, while Deputy Attorney General Motaher Hossain Sazu and Barrister Tanjib-Ul-Alam argued for Rajuk.