Sued for rallying against illegal occupation
Sued for rallying against illegal occupation
Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club sued some green activists yesterday, hours after the environmentalists staged demonstrations protesting illegal occupation of Dhanmondi playground by the club.
Arifur Rahman, general secretary of the club, filed the case with Dhanmondi Police Station accusing former president of Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB) Mubasshar Hussain, Joint Secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa) Iqbal Habib, architect Salma A Shafi, Kamrunnahar Dana, general secretary of Bangladesh Women's Spots Association, and some unnamed others of creating chaos near the “private property.”
Sub-inspector Imam Mehedi of the police station confirmed the filing of the case.
In reality, the playground is a public space occupied by the registered private organisation Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club for years. The club is named after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's slain brother.
The club has even deployed round-the-clock security staff to prevent commoners from entering the field, which is open only to club members.
Yesterday's demonstration was organised by Green Voice, a platform of youth environmentalists, in front of the National Museum in Shahbag around 9:30am. From there, the protesters marched to the playground.
“The club is digging up the turf to build structures. It had done so previously as well,” said a leaflet circulated by the organisation.
The Daily Star found that a tennis court is being built on the turf for private use of the club's members.
The occupation of the playground continues defying a 2011 High Court order that had asked the then Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) to reclaim the field from the club and reopen it for the public. The HC had given the DCC 15 days to implement its order which was delivered on March 15 that year, according to the leaflet.
The court came up with the order following a writ petition filed by the Bapa and the IEB in 2004.
The DCC then moved the Supreme Court with an appeal claiming that it could not reclaim the field, read the leaflet.
On May 27 last year, the Supreme Court asked the DCC to explain why it should not be charged with contempt of court.
The Green Voice also urged all to make sure that all the playing fields in the capital were freed from illegal occupation, and local committees were formed to take care of the fields.
Contacted, Bapa leader Iqbal Habib said, “The club had the audacity to file a case as the state machinery has always supported the occupation of the field.”
Kamrunnahar Dana said she stayed at home yesterday as she was sick, but the club authorities implicated her in the case.
The Daily Star phoned club President Manzur Quader, but he refused making any comment on the issue.