The Supreme Court today cleared the way for the government to demolish all structures built illegally on the banks of Bharani Khal (canal) in Barguna.

The Appellate Division of the SC upheld a High Court order that on January 7, 2019 directed the local administration of Barguna to evict unauthorised structures from the boundaries of Bharani Khal.

A full bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain came up with the order after hearing a leave to appeal petition filed by the government.

Following a writ petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela), the HC on January 7, 2019 directed the administration of Barguna to remove the structures built illegally on the boundaries of Bharani Khal.

Two locals, Md Delwar Hossain and Md Imam Hossain, submitted a petition to the HC to modify the January 7, 2019 order claiming that they had taken allotment from the government on the canal, Bela's lawyer Minhazul Haque Chowdhury told The Daily Star.

Following their petition, the HC on January 24, 2019 modified its January 7, 2019 order and allowed the claimants, who took allotments from the government on the land of the canal, to stay there.

Minhazul Haque Chowdhury said the local administration could not demolish the structures from the land of Bharani Khal following the HC's January 24, 2019 order.

Now, there is no legal bar to demolish the structures from the land of Bharani Khal following the apex court order, the lawyer added.