HC seeks Rajuk’s amended layout plan on Purbachol project

The High Court today sought for Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha’s (Rajuk) fourth-amended layout plan that demonstrated the forest, open spaces, playgrounds, parks and waterbodies in Purbachol project and its proposed fifth layout plan for the project.

The court ordered Rajuk to submit its fourth and fifth amended layout plans and the copies of its board-meetings’ decisions after March 13, 2014 about Purbachol new town project in Gazipur before this court by June 30.

The HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal came up with order during hearing a writ petition collectively filed by seven rights organizations seeking necessary orders.

The rights bodies including Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Associations (Bela) and Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) submitted the petition in April to the HC challenging Rajuk’s reported action to create and allocate new plots through shrinking the spaces for educational institutions, playgrounds, and forest at Purbachal New Town Project.

After today’s proceedings, the HC bench also fixed July 4 for passing further order on this issue.

Advocate Syed Rizwana Hasan, a lawyer for the petitioners, told The Daily Star that the HC on March 13, 2014 finally approved Raju’s fourth-amended layout plan that demonstrated the forest, open spaces, playgrounds, parks and waterbodies in Purbachol project.

The 2014 HC verdict had ordered Rajuk not to bring any change to the use of land relating to environment without its permission.

The HC on December 17 last year refused to approve Rajuk’ fifth amended layout plan as the project is being implemented damaging the ecology of the trees, forest, waterbodies and garh areas.

The court also ruled that 20 sectors other than one of Rajuk’s proposed layout plan project are unacceptable and trickery, Advocate Rizwana said.

But, Rajuk is now reportedly creating and allocating new plots changing the layout plan and relocating the sporting grounds of schools and allocating their lands for residence, health, research and commercial organizations under the project that is contradictory to the 2014 HC verdict, the lawyer added.

Advocate Syed Rizwana Hasan and Advocate Sayeed Ahmed Kabir appeared for the rights organisations, while Barrister Tanjib-Ul-Alam argued for Rajuk.