Six mouzas in Sonargaon: SC issues injunction on earth filling

The Supreme Court yesterday issued an injunction on earth-filling in agricultural land, lowland, wetland and parts of Meghna River at six mauzas in Sonargaon upazila of Narayanganj.

The mouzas are -- Pirojpur, Jainpur, Chhoihisya, Charvobonathpur, Bhatibandha and Ratanpur.

Chamber judge of the Appellate Division of the SC Justice M Enayetur Rahim passed the order following a petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) seeking necessary directives to save the environment of the areas.

The petition said Sonargaon Resort City (SRC) and the so-called Sonargaon Economic Zone (SEZ) owned by businessman Noor Ali are filling earth in those lands in violation of law and court orders.

According to the petition, a private housing company Unique Property Development Ltd took up a housing project called "Sonargaon Resort City" in 2011 by filling up the existing agricultural land, lowland and swamp land in the six mouzas.

Bela filed a writ petition as a public interest litigation with the HC in 2014 after the company continued to occupy and fill 2,350 bighas of land to implement the project.

After a hearing of the petition, the HC on March 2, 2014, issued a ban on the earth filling.

Later, on August 14, 2018, the Appellate Division of the SC ordered to stop the filling and remove the dumped soil.

In violation of the court directives, the company changed the name of its so-called housing project and continued to fill soil and sand to create "Sonargaon Economic Zone" on the same land.

Bela took various legal actions including filing contempt of court cases against the company.

After a long and final hearing, the HC on December 2, 2020 delivered a verdict with 11 directives.

In the judgment, the HC declared the earth filling illegal.

Lawyer Minhajul Haque Chowdhury argued for Bela while senior lawyer Mohammad Saeed Ahmed Raja appeared for the company.