Remove unauthorised housing companies’ signboards from Purbachal project: HC

The High Court today ordered the government to remove the signboards of unauthorised housing companies around Purbachal government projects in Narayanganj and Gazipur in two months.

The deputy commissioners and superintendents of police of Narayanganj and Gazipur have been ordered to take steps to remove the signboards in two months and to submit reports after complying with the directives to the HC by July 29.

The HC bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order following a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) seeking necessary directives.

During hearing, HRPB's lawyer Manzill Murshid told the HC that the people might be deceived because of the signboards as their companies have not approval from the government.

These signboards have been placed in various reservoirs, canals and ponds around Purbachal government housing projects containing advertisements for selling plots though there is no provision in the law to fill these reservoirs, he argued.

The unauthorised housing companies, whose signboards have been set up there, are-Platinum Purbachal City; City Cloud; Canada City; Zamindar City; City Rim Jhim; Dreamlan City; Homeland Purbachal City; Hometown Purbachal City; Preeti Real Estate; Mascot City; Pushpita Housing; Nandan City; Best Web City; Malum City; Marine City; Swapan City; United Purbachal Land Limited; AG Properties Limited; Navana Real Estate; Biswas Builders; Neelachal Housing; Bagan Bilash; Rupayan Land; Adarsha Ideal Limited; Tepantar Housing Limited; Metropolitan Christian Co-operative Housing; Gramf International; North South Housing; Manjil Housing and Development; Shikdar Royal City; Kapotaksa Green City; Divine Folding; Shatabdi Housing; Swarna Chaya Real Estate; Vision 21 Design; Ocean Haven Limited; Chandrima Limited and Fair Deal Shipping Limited, according to a press release issued by Advocate Manzill Murshid.

Manizll Murshid told The Daily Star that following the same writ petition the HC in 2018 had issued status quo on earthling on the canals, beels and reservoirs at Purbachal Town project area in Kaliganj of Gazipur and Rupganj of Naraynaganj and ordered the government to remove signboards of unauthorized housing companies.

The district administrations of Gazipur and Narayanganj had earlier removed the signboards of unauthorized housing projects following the HC directive in 2018.

But the companies, which have no permission from the government, have recently setup signboards of advertisements for selling plots, he added.

Deputy Attorney General Kazi Mynul Hassan represented the state during hearing.