Filling waterbody for BADC lab construction illegal: HC
The court also ordered BADC to restore the waterbody to its original state in 3 months
The High Court has ruled illegal the construction of a laboratory by the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) by filling a waterbody in the Goidartek area of Dhaka's Mirpur.
The High Court also ordered the BADC to restore the waterbody to its original condition in three months.
A High Court bench, comprising Justice Naima Haider and Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque, pronounced the verdict on Sunday (28 January), resolving a public interest litigation filed by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela).
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Bela argued that the 117-acre waterbody at Goidartek, which is part of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), is designated as a Water Regulating Pond by Dhaka North City Corporation. The waterbody is also identified as a Water Regulating Pond in the Dhaka Structure Plan (2022-2035), it said.
In its ruling, the High Court declared the failure of the government's officials concerned to protect and conserve the waterbody and prevent its filling for the construction of laboratory by the BADC to be illegal, unauthorised, unlawful, and against the public interest.
The BADC filled about 12 acres of land of the pond identified in the Dhaka Structure Plan (2022-2035) to construct the laboratory aimed at producing seed potatoes by modern methods. The news of the filling of the waterbody was published in the national dailies.
Based on the published news, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) and the DNCC sent a letter to the BADC against the filling of the waterbody.
The High Court issued a rule on 13 August 2023 banning the filling of the waterbody after Bela had filed a writ petition on 1 August 2023.
Barrister Mohammad Ashraf Ali handled the case on behalf of Bela. Additional Attorney General Sheikh Mohammad Morshed and Advocate SM Zahurul Islam represented the state and the BADC
