N’ganj landfill: HC bench doesn’t deliver verdict

A High Court bench today sent to the chief justice the file on a writ petition that challenged the legality of landfilling croplands and wetlands in some areas of Sonargaon upazila, Narayanganj.

The bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Ashish Ranjan Das, who were scheduled to deliver the verdict today, sent the filed to the chief justice saying some questions are involved in this case and it should be further scrutinised and heard.

So, the petition has been sent to the chief justice for a decision, Md Ashfaqul Islam said.

The writ petitioner’s lawyer Advocate Syeda Rizwana Hasan told The Daily Star that after receiving the petition, Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain will assign another High Court bench for its hearing and disposal.

Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) submitted the petition in 2014, saying that Unique Properties Development Ltd, a private housing company, had filled up the land for establishing its Sonargaon Resort City, a housing project.

Following the petition, the HC on March 2, 2014 directed Unique Properties Development Ltd to stop further filling up of land and to remove the dumped soil.

The Department of Environment (DoE) in 2012 had fined the company Tk 50 lakh for damaging the agricultural land and wetland.