Over 70 housing projects illegal

The High Court yesterday directed the government to remove or demolish 77 unauthorised housing projects in and around Dhaka within 30 days.
The court in the verdict on a writ petition also ordered the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha and the police to stop advertisement, earth-filling and sale of plots by those housing projects and remove their signboards and hoardings immediately.
The HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore at the same time directed Rajuk to submit a report on compliance with the directives within 40 days.
The court declared the housing projects illegal and Rajuk itself had provided the petitioners with the list of 77 illegal housing projects.
Petitioners' counsel Iqbal Kabir Lytton told The Daily Star that at least 77 unauthorised housing projects are now filling water-bodies with earth, and selling plots in and around Dhaka. They are also circulating advertisements through the media despite earlier orders of the HC.
Following yesterday's directives, Rajuk has to take steps immediately in this regard taking assistance of the police, he said.
Iqbal Kabir also said many people are being cheated of their life's savings by these unauthorised housing projects.
The petition was jointly filed by five environmental and urban planner groups in July last year seeking necessary orders from the HC to stop the operations of the housing companies to protect the environment.
The petitioners included Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association, Ain O Salish Kendra, Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan, Institute of Architects Bangladesh and Paribesh Banchao Andolan.
The petitioners mentioned failure of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, and Rajuk in preventing advertisements, earth filling and sale of plots of unapproved private housing projects.
These included proposed projects or those being implemented in the area under Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan, comprised of the Structure Plan, Urban Area Plan and Detailed Area Plan (DAP).
The petition listed the 77 projects where earth filling has to be stopped.
Following the petition, an HC bench of Justice Wahab Miah and Justice Kazi Rezaul Hoque on July 27 last year issued a rule upon the government to explain as to why the activities of the unapproved and unauthorised housing projects in and around Dhaka should not be declared illegal.
It had also directed the government to take effective steps to stop earth filling and sale of plots in the unauthorised private housing projects, and advertisements on those.
The government did not respond to the rule.
As the July 27, 2010, directives were not being executed properly, Bela filed another petition with the HC in January this year seeking remedy.
On January 17, the HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Sheikh Md Zakir Hossain directed the government to stop advertisement, earth-filling and sale of plots by those housing projects and remove their signboards, hoardings and other advertising means.
Iqbal Kabir claimed the authorities have not properly followed the January 17 directives.
Deputy Attorney General ABM Altaf Hossain and Assistant Attorney General Shaikat Basu represented the government.
Click here to see illegal projects list