Due share of 5-star Sheraton Hotel has to be handed over to Dhaka North: HC
The High Court (HC) has asked Dhaka North City to take possession of the 30% share of the 28-storey five-star Sheraton Hotel built on the 60-katha plot of land in Banani owned by Dhaka North.
The court ordered the chief executive officer of Dhaka North to submit a report on this matter within the next three months after having possession of the due portion as per the agreement between Dhaka North and Borak Real Estate which constructed the building.
At the same time, the court issued a ruling seeking to know the reason for the delay in realising the due share and why the inaction of the parties concerned to demolish the illegally constructed part of the building will not be considered illegal.
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Local government secretary, Rajuk, Anti-Corruption Commission and others concerned have been asked to respond to the rule within four weeks.
The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order on Monday after hearing a writ petition filed in the public interest following a national daily published a report titled "Five-star hotel on government land" on 1 June.
Barrister Syed Syedul Haque Sumon took part in the hearing in favour of the writ.
Dhaka North authorities said the agreement with Borak Real Estate was for the construction of a 14-storey building. Dhaka North would get 30% of the building, worth about Tk550 crore, which they have not got in one decade. On the contrary, Borak Real Estate, a subsidiary of Unique Group, has built a 28-storey building by violating the terms of the contract and has kept the whole under their control.
Dhaka North just wrote a letter to Borak Real Estate not to build the 28-story building in violation of the contract but took no action to stop the construction work, said sources concerned.
On 11 June, a writ was issued asking for an investigation into the construction of the 28-story five-star hotel building.
On 4 June, Barrister Suman submitted a complaint to the Anti-Corruption Commission regarding the irregularities of the hotel on government land.
The agreement was signed during the tenure of Sadek Hossain Khoka, mayor of undivided Dhaka.
