HC adjourns hearing on Suhrawardy Udyan tree cutting for four weeks

A High Court bench on Thursday adjourned for four weeks the writ hearing on tree cutting at historical Suhrawardy Udyan, hoping that the matter will be resolved through discussions between the government and the environmentalists, reports UNB.

The HC bench of justice Farah Mahbub and justice SM Maniruzaaman came up with this decision while hearing a writ petition over the matter.

“We will not interfere with this matter at the moment as we hope the issue will be settled in a balanced and beautiful way after discussions between the government and the environmentalists including the writ petitioners," the HC judges said.

Attorney general AM Amin Uddin told the court that the liberation war affairs minister assured him that he will talk to environmentalists before the government decides on this issue.

The liberation war affairs ministry has taken up a project to build Independence Monument and other related infrastructures at Suhrawardy Udyan.

He also added that the process of cutting trees at Suhrawardy Udyan has been suspended.

Lawyers Fida M Kamal and Syeda Rizwana Hasan appeared for the writ petitioners, while additional attorney generals Mohammad Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury and SK Md Morshed represented the state during the virtual hearing.

On 9 May, six organisations and an individual submitted the writ petition to stop tree cutting at historical Suhrawardy Udyan.

The petitioners are - Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), Association for Land Reforms and Development (ALRD), Nijera Kori, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) and architect Mobassher Hossain.