Fate of illegal BGMEA building sealed

The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed a petition seeking review of its judgement upholding an April 2011 High Court order for demolishing the 15-storey BGMEA building illegally built in the capital's Begunbari canal and Hatirjheel lake.

It also asked the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) to submit an application by March 9 stating the time it would take to bring it down.

A three-member SC Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha fixed to pass an order on the application that day.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, representing Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), said one year might be needed to either demolish the building or for BGMEA to shift from it.

BGMEA's lawyer advocate Kamrul Haque Siddiqui said they needed at least three years as it was a very important structure related to export and import of garments.   

Another lawyer, barrister Imtiaz Moinul Islam, told The Daily Star that the SC may grant some time and they would seek three years.

The building's foundation was laid in 1998 by the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina and it was opened in 2006 by the then premier Khaleda Zia.

The HC verdict had ordered the government to demolish the building within three months, saying it was built on land acquired through forgery and filled with earth illegally.

Later, the Appellate Division stayed the HC judgement following a BGMEA petition.

A four-member Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed a short verdict on June 2 last year dismissing the BGMEA appeal and upholding the HC order. The SC released the full text of the verdict on November 8 ordering BGMEA to immediately demolish the building at its own cost.