No bar to remove illegal structures from Sugandhya Point on Cox’s Bazar beach
The Supreme Court yesterday cleared the way for the government to remove unauthorised business structures from Sugandhya Point at Kalatali on Cox's Bazar sea beach.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain scrapped the rule and stay order issued by the High Court on removal of the structures.
The apex court came up with the verdict after hearing an appeal filed by the land ministry and other authorities concerned of the government challenging the HC rule and order.
Appellants' lawyer Manzill Murshid told The Daily Star that 52 persons have constructed structures without permission from proper authorities for running businesses at Sugandhya Point.
Cox's Bazar Development Authority on April 10, 2018 issued a notice to evicti them.
The 52 persons had filed a writ petition with the HC challenging the eviction notice, mentioning that the Cox's Bazar municipality trade licence authorities had permitted them to set up the structures.
Following the petition, the HC on April 16, 2018 issued a rule questioning the eviction notice and stay its effectiveness.
Later on, the offices concerned of the government including the land ministry filed the appeal, he said.
During yesterday's hearing, Manzill Murshid told the SC that the HC and apex court directed the authorities concerned to evict structures from the Cox's Bazar sea beach which was declared ecologically critical area.
But some unscrupulous businessmen have built unauthorised structures violating the verdicts, he added.
Writ petitioners' lawyer AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon told The Daily Star he can say after going through the full text of the SC verdict whether the structures at Sugandhya Point on Cox's Bazar sea beach can be removed.
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