Moon Cinema Hall ordered to register property in favour of Muktijoddha Kalyan Trust

The Appellate Division has ordered the owner of Moon Cinema Hall to register its land and establishments in favour of Muktijoddha Kalyan Trust (Freedom Fighters Welfare Trust) by August 29.

The court also fixed August 29 as the next date for giving further decisions on the case.

The Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order on Sunday.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam stood for the government, while barrister Ajmalul Hossain and advocate Saifullah Mamun represented the owner of the Moon Cinema.

In the mid-1970s, the regime in power took over the Moon Cinema from the Italian Marble Works. Later during HM Ershad’s government, the Italian Marble Works sued the government for compensation for the property. In 2010, the High Court gave verdict in favour of the Italian Marble Works, and ordered the government to pay compensation. This was upheld by the Appellate Division in 2012.

On December 10 last year, the Appellate Division ordered the government to pay Italian Marble Works Tk99.21 crore as compensation for the takeover of Moon Cinema Hall.

But the government delayed the payment because of some complications over the registration of the land.

In the end, the Appellate Division ordered the owner of Moon Cinema Hall to register the land in favour of the trust, after an agreement was reached.