HC stays multi-storey construction at Ctg hills
HC sought an explanation as to why instructions should not be issued to stop cutting hills without permission from the Department of Environment
Photo: Collected
The High Court has ordered a three-month suspension of the construction of a multi-storey building of Sanmar Properties in the Duncan Hill area, near the Bangladesh Forest Research Institute at Sholashahar in Chattogram.
An HC bench comprising of Justices Mohammad Mojibur Rahman Mia and Mohammad Kamrul Hossain Mollah passed the order on Tuesday, after hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) petition.
The HC issued a rule asking why the defendants' failure to stop multi-storey construction at Duncan Hill area near the Bangladesh Forest Research Research Institute should not be declared illegal.
The HC also wanted to know why instructions should not be issued to Sanmar to stop illegally cutting hills without authorization from the Department of Environment.
Mayor of Chattogram City Corporation; environment and forest secretary; land secretary; housing and public works secretary; divisional commissioner of Chattogram; chairman of Chattogram Development Authority; director general of environment department; deputy commissioner of Chattogram; Chattogram divisional director of environment department; and Sanmar Properties Ltd have been asked to respond to the rule in the next four weeks.
Lawyer Kazi Akhter Hossain moved for the petitioner during the hearing, while Deputy Attorney General Nawroj Md Rasel Chowdhury represented the state.
Lawyer Mohammad Golam Sarwar told reporters that Supreme Court lawyer Sajal Mallick had filed the writ petition on 26 January, attaching published media reports as supporting evidence.
"Hearing the petition on Monday, the High Court issued a three-month stay on felling of trees and constructing multi-storey buildings at the site," he added.
A report titled 'Two 25-storied towers of Sanmar on Duncan Hill!' was published in the daily Supravhat Bangladesh on 16 October 2020.
According to the report, Sanmar Properties, one of the port city's leading real estate companies, has already cut down hundreds of trees to build the towers, with plans to cut more as well. Construction is currently underway at the foot of the hill.
"However, no approvals to cut down trees have been obtained from the forest department, neither has clearance has been taken from the environment department for the construction of multi-storied buildings in the hills," the report indicated.
