The High Court has issued a restraining order against three housing projects in Dhaka’s Savar, prohibiting all development activities, including the controversial earth-filling of Bamni canal. Justices Mustafa Zaman Islam and Md Atabullah of the HC bench issued the directive after hearing a writ filed by various environmental and land reform organizations.
The housing projects under scrutiny are Zam Zam Noor City, SA Housing, and Sugandha Housing. The court has mandated the concerned authorities, including the Chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), the director general of the environment department (DoE), the director general of the water development board, and the deputy commissioner of Dhaka, to submit a comprehensive report on the extent of Bamni canal land filled by these projects.
Represented by Lawyer Syeda Rizwana Hasan, the petitioners, including Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD), Manobadhikar Sangskriti Foundation (MSF), Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), and urban planner Adil Mohammad Khan, allege that the housing projects are operating without proper approvals and clearances. They claim that these projects have been encroaching upon the Bamni canal and its adjacent areas, designated as water bodies in the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) and agricultural land.
The petitioners further revealed that Zam Zam Noor City faced fines of Tk 2.3 million by the DoE in October 2021 and Tk 500,000 by RAJUK in September 2023. Despite these penalties, the company persisted in its activities, prompting legal action.
This High Court intervention highlights the ongoing concerns about unauthorized development projects and environmental degradation, emphasizing the need for regulatory compliance and protection of critical water bodies in the region.
