Haikkar Canal
Govt asked to stop grabbing in week
The High Court yesterday directed the government to take steps to stop within seven days all kinds of encroachment, construction and earth filling in Haikkar Khal in the capital’s Mohammadpur.
The deputy commissioner (DC) and the metropolitan police commissioner of Dhaka and officer-in-charge (OC) of Mohammadpur Police Station have to carry out this order.
In response to a writ petition, an HC bench ordered the Dhaka DC, director general (DG) of Land Record and Survey Authority (LRD), and managing director of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) to conduct a survey to demarcate the original area of the canal and submit a report to this court within two months.
The bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Sheikh Md Zakir Hossain also issued a rule upon the government to explain within three weeks as to why the government should not be directed to take necessary steps to protect and restore Haikkar Khal.
The Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) yesterday filed the writ petition as public interest litigation following a news published in The Daily Star on December 6 titled “Haikkar Khal disappearing as encroachment goes unabated”.
The Secretary to LGRD ministry, Dhaka City Corporation mayor, DG of LRD, DC of Dhaka, DMP commissioner, MD of Dhaka Wasa, and OC of Mohammadpur police station have been made respondents to the rule.
Advocate Manzill Murshid appeared for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General ABM Altaf Hossain and Assistant Attorney General Purabi Saha represented the government in the HC yesterday.
