The High Court on Thursday directed Rajdhani Unnayan Kartiripakkha to stop land development or monetary work for a Purbachal housing project in Gazipur until it obtains an environmental clearance for the project. The court, in response to a petition, also issued a rule asking the authorities to explain in four weeks why the layout plan of the Purbachal New Town Project at Borokau and Parabartha of Kaliganj in the district should not be declared illegal, arbitrary and against public interest.
The court also asked the authorities concerned of the government and Rajuk to explain why they should not be directed to protect and conserve the unique ecology and forest, wetland and cultivable land at Borokau and Parabartha.
The bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar came up with the order and the rule after hearing a writ petition jointly filed by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers’ Association and six other rights groups.
They filed the writ petition on Wednesday saying that the Purbachal housing project had no environment clearance for dirt-filling and construction of structures in the area.
The petitioner sought a directive on the government to stop activities of the housing project and declare the project illegal.
BELA’s counsel Iqbal Kabir Lytton said that Rajuk had been doing dirt-filling and constructing structures on about 1600 acres of land in the two mauzas since 2010 although Rajuk has not obtained environment clearance from the environment department.
-With New Age input
