Forest land leased for shipyard: HC issues contempt rule against Ctg official
The court has also ordered Yasmin Parvin Tibriji, the additional divisional commissioner (Revenue) in Chattogram, to appear before it on 9 July to explain the issue
The High Court has issued a contempt of rule against the Chattogram additional divisional commissioner (Revenue) for illegally reinstating a lease of five acres of forest land in Chattogram's Sitakunda for construction of a shipyard, in defiance of a court order.
The court has also ordered Yasmin Parvin Tibriji, the additional divisional commissioner (Revenue) in Chattogram, to appear before it on 9 July to explain the issue.
An HC panel of Justice JBM Hasan and Justice Rajik Al Raji passed the order on Sunday after hearing a case on contempt of court charges filed by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association.
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Hasanul Banna, a lawyer at the association, confirmed the matter to The Business Standard.
Earlier, on 24 March, the court of Chattogram additional divisional commissioner (Revenue) allegedly reinstated the lease to Kohinoor Steels Ltd despite cancelation of the lease twice due to court injunctions.
On 29 May last year, Chattogram district administration conducted an eviction drive at Kohinoor Steels' ship-breaking yard. Later, on 1 June that year, the lease was revoked.
On 10 May this year, The Business Standard published a report titled "Forest land leased to shipbreaker despite court ban."
In 2019, Chattogram district administration leased out 7.10 acres of land to BBC Steel in the Tulatuli area, owned by Abul Kashem alias Raja Kashem, despite objections from the Forest Department, as the land was not within the designated zone for shipbreaking operations.
The lease was revoked following a court order on 2 January 2020.
Later, the district administration leased 5 acres of land to Kohinoor Steel, another company of Raja Kashem, on 14 February 2022. 1. The majority of the leased land was reportedly within the Tulatuli area.
In June 2023, the district administration again cancelled the lease following a legal notice served by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association on various parties, including the district administration, Forest Department and Kohinoor Steel.
