HC asks Rajuk
The High Court (HC) yesterday directed the Rajuk authorities to free Gulshan Lake from grabbing and encroachment in seven days.
During the hearing on the rule, the court said it has jurisdiction to empower any authority to save the environment, which includes the lake.
The court’s action followed a remark made by Nurul Huda, chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) who stated that his office is not empowered to remove illegal structures from the lake, as it (lake) is beyond Rajuk’s jurisdiction.
Huda, who had appeared before the court earlier said he has “sincere intentions to save the lake” but does not have the “legal authority or manpower” to do so.
The HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik and Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim has also summoned the managing director of Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd (BTCL) to appear before it this morning to explain why portion of the lake, owned by his office, is being filled up.
He is being summoned as Huda said BTCL authorities can explain it better, Deputy Attorney General ABM Altaf Hossain told The Daily Star.
Earlier on January 17, following a report published in the daily Prothom Alo, the court, in a suo moto order, directed Rajuk’s chief and its authorised officer of Gulshan zone to appear before it to explain why they have not protected the land around the lake.
The court also issued a rule asking the Rajuk chairman and officials to state the steps they have taken to prevent further grabbing of the lake and why they should not be directed to protect it.
According to the Bengali daily, a dam over five bighas was created across the lake, dividing it in the middle. Several tin-shed houses have also been erected along the dam, by claiming land ownership.
-With The Daily Star input
