Houses built for speaker, deputy speaker are legal: Appellate Division

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has declared the construction of residential buildings for speaker and deputy speaker in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban area legal.

The appeal bench headed by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique on Tuesday accepted the state appeal, scrapping the HC order that declared those houses built in the parliament area illegal.

The High Court, in its verdict on 21 June, 2004, declared the construction of the houses as illegal as those buildings were built, violating the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban's original design made by famous architect Louis I Kahn.

According to the case details, the process of construction of residences for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban area started in 2002.

Later, Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa) and Institute of Architects filed a writ petition in the High Court in 2003, challenging its legality.

In the petition, they said these residential buildings are being constructed in the Parliament building area, violating Louis I Kahn's original design.

In 2004, alongside declaring the construction of the residence for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker illegal, the High Court also declared the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban area as a national heritage.

Then, the government filed an appeal against the High Court verdict.