Hatirjheel not cleared of illegal structures despite HC order
More than 20 food shops around Dhaka's Hatirjheel lake that are declared illegal structures, have not been removed despite expiry of a 17 September deadline issued by the High Court.
On Tuesday (25 September) afternoon, this correspondent found at least 20 food kiosks were still operating. Some food trucks were also selling items there.
Salespersons in the area denied receiving any notice for stopping their business although some of them said they had watched such report on television.
Kiosks on the pavement hamper movement of vehicles as well as aesthetic value of the Hatirjheel project.
The directive for removal of illegal structures inside the Hatirjheel-Begunbari project came from the court on 10 September, following a public interest litigation filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) based on a newspaper report on 1 August.
A High Court bench of justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and justice KM Hafizul Alam asked the authorities to demolish and remove structures built in violation of the layout of the project within next seven days that ended on 17 September.
Mustafa [single name], a representative of YOD restaurant in Hatirjheel, told Prothom Alo that they did not get any such directive in the past two weeks.
“We are doing business as usual and we were not served with any notice from the police or any other authorities,” he claimed.
Another salesperson of a makeshift kiosk near Gulshan Police Plaza said they have seen such a report but no one prevented them from operating the business there.
Petitioner Manjil Murshed of HRPB said, “I have sent the certified copy of the court to the Rajuk (capital development authority) chairman. But it is sad that they are yet to act on that.”
The High Court, too, has instructed the Rajuk chairman, the Dhaka metropolitan police commissioner, the officer in charge of Hatirjheel police station and the project director to ensure regular supervision of the area to prevent construction of illegal structures.
Project director of Rajuk Jamal Akhter Bhuiyan said he is not aware of any copy that is said to have been sent from the High Court to take actions as directed.
Asked about approval of those structures defying the project layout, he said, “Rajuk gave the approval for setting up restaurants and other structures based on public demand. There was not even any place to drink water and visitors faced problems for lack of facilities. We gave the permission in view of the visitors’ sufferings.”
The official, however, mentioned that they would "definitely follow the court order”.
Manjil Morshed expressed frustration at the inaction of authorities, saying, “I am not sure why they are killing time to take any action.”
“We would take next course of action after the court opens on 1 October.”
Rajuk chairman Md Abdur Rahman could not be reached over mobile phone after repeated attempts on Tuesday evening.