Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha officials said they would comply with the court’s order to demolish the BGMEA Bhaban on the Hatirjheel Lake in the capital.
On June 2, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court dismissed BGMEA’s appeal against a High Court Division order to demolish the 15-story BGMEA Bhaban, illegally built eclipsing the lake.
The High Court Division in its order on April 3, 2011 directed the government to demolish the BGMEA Bhaban within 90 days.
Rajuk director for law Md Rokon Ud-Doula told New Age that they did not get the copy of the apex court’s verdict until Thursday.
Rajuk’s new chairman M Bazlul Karim Chaudhury said that the apex court decision would be complied with as soon as its copy reached Rajuk.
‘We are estimating the cost of the demolition which would be huge,’ he said.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association first vice-president Moinuddin Ahmed told New Age that they were scrutinizing the apex court verdict to see whether a review of it could be sought.
‘We are simultaneously looking for a suitable site at Tejgaon, Agargaon or Uttara to build our new office complex,’ he said.
He expressed the hope that the new site would be selected soon.
Moinuddin said that BGMEA would shift its office complex in compliance with order from the court to uphold its image.
BGMEA would, said its another leader, prefer to build its new office complex at Tejgaon Industrial Area.
In the verdict, the HC said that the BGMEA building was illegally constructed on government land in gross violation of the capital’s master plan and the laws relating to protection of its environment and wetlands.
The HC gave the verdict while disposing of a suo moto rule it had issued on October 3, 2010 asking the government to explain why it should not be directed to demolish the unauthorized multi-storey building.
The suo moto rule was issued following a report New Age published on October 2, 2010 under the headline ‘No plan to demolish unauthorized BGMEA building soon.’
On November 28, 1998, the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone of the BGMEA building while former prime minister Khaleda Zia inaugurated the building on October 8, 2006.
Source: New Age
