Grabbing Buriganga: MP Aslamul seeks SC order to avoid eviction

Awami League lawmaker Aslamul Haque, also the owner of Maisha Group, has filed a petition with the Supreme Court's Appellate Division seeking to stay a High Court verdict that allowed the authorities to conduct eviction drives and recover the land of the Buriganga from the possession of three companies of his group.

He submitted the petition to the apex court last week, his lawyer Mohammad Ozi Ullah told The Daily Star yesterday.

Citing the stay petition, the lawyer said Aslamul Haque's companies have obtained all relevant clearance certificates required for establishing industries, and they have not grabbed land of any river.

He said in addition to submitting the stay petition to the Appellate Division, Aslamul Haque has also lodged cases with the civil courts seeking remedy on the same issue.

Lawyer Ozi Ullah could not say specifically when the hearing of the stay petition will be held.

Meanwhile, the National River Conservation Commission's (NRCC) lawyer Manzill Murshid told this correspondent that he received a copy of the petition on December 12.

He said he would oppose the stay petition during its hearing before the Appellate Division.

On December 10, the HC cleared the way for the government to carry out eviction drives and recover the Buriganga's land in Keraniganj from the possession of three companies of Maisha Group.

The court rejected a writ petition collectively filed by the three companies challenging the eviction activities of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA).

The three companies are CLC Power Ltd, Dhaka West Power Ltd and Dhaka North Power Utility Company Ltd.

Delivering the verdict on the petition, the HC said the rivers of the country must be protected at any cost.

A government probe, led by the NRCC, has found that Aslamul, lawmaker of Dhaka-14, filled up more than 54 acres from the Buriganga and wetland to construct a power plant and a private economic zone in Basila of Keraniganj.

The MP started the illegal activity in 2010, according to the probe report.