Sonargoan Economic Zone: HC to deliver verdict tomorrow

The High Court will deliver a verdict tomorrow on a writ petition challenging the legality of earth filling by Unique Property Development Ltd, and Sonargaon Economic Zone, two private companies, for establishing a housing project and economic zone at Sonargaon upazila in Narayanganj.

Earlier on November 24, the HC bench of Justice Md Ashraful Kamal and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil fixed Wednesday for delivering the verdict after concluding final hearing on the petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association in 2014.

Following the same writ petition, another HC bench on March 2, 2014 had directed Unique Property Development Ltd to stop further filling up of land for establishing its housing project at Sonargaon.

The court also issued a rule upon the authorities concerned of the government and the company to explain why the earth filling activities should not be declared illegal.

In continuation of the legal battle in the case, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on August 14, 2018 ordered Sonargaon Economic Zone's Managing Director Md Noor Ali to refrain from sand and earth filling of farmlands and wetlands around Meghna River in six moujas in Narayanganj's Sonargaon.

The apex court also ordered the deputy commissioner of Narayanganj to halt filling up the land.

Lawyer Rizwana Hasan argued for Bela while lawyer Ahsanul Karim appeared for Sonargaon Economic Zone.