The High Court (HC) yesterday imposed status quo on earth filling and encroachments in canals, rivers, ponds and other water bodies and ‘khash’ land near Purbachal by 22 real estate and housing companies. Some of these realtors are leading firms in their field. The court also directed the authorities, including the deputy commissioner of Gazipur and the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Kaliganj, to submit a report after complying with the order, within two months.

The HC bench, comprising Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal, passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, a non-governmental organisation. Those real estate firms and housing companies accused of earth filling and illegally encroaching water bodies and ‘khash’ land in Kaliganj upazila in Gazipur are: United Purbachal Lands Limited, AG Properties Limited, Navana Real Estate Limited, Biswas Builders Limited, Neelachal Housing Limited, Bagan Bilas, Rupayan Lands Limited, Adarsha Ideal Limited, Tepantar Housing, Metropolitan Christian Cooperative Housing, Manjil Housing and Development Limited, Sikder Royel City, Kapotakkha Green City, Divine Holding Limited, Shotabdi Housing, Swarna Chaya Real Estate, Vision 21 and Development Limited, Ocean Heaven Limited, SFL Chandrima Limited, Gramp International, Northsouth Housing and Fare Deal Shipping Limited.

The petitioner’s lawyer, advocate Manzil Morshed, told reporters that the real estate and housing companies cannot encroach and subsequently degrade the environment near Purbachal following the HC order.

According to Section 18 (Ka) of the Constitution and the environment law of 1985 and the water bodies’ law of 2000, he pointed out that earth filling of water bodies was prohibited. “We have received information from different sources that these companies were earth filling in water bodies without taking approval from the authorities and deceiving people by hanging signboards,” he added.  

Assistant attorney-general Purabi Saha dealt with the case on behalf of the government.

Earlier, on November 12 last year, the HC also imposed status quo on earth-filling of water bodies in different areas of Rupganj upazila in Narayanganj and Kaliganj in Gazipur on a writ petition filed by the same organisation. The vice-president of the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB), Kamal Mahmud, said if there was any specific complaint against any of their members, they would take steps to solve the problem.

He said if any REHAB member violates the laws and rules of the country, they are responsible for dealing lawfully with the matter. Md Idris Hawlader, deputy general manager (administration) of Biswas Builders Limited claimed that they did not fill sand in water bodies in Kaliganj. “We are yet to know about the allegations levelled against our company. We will let the authorities know our position. If necessary, we will take necessary legal measures after getting all information about the allegations,” he added.