The High Court yesterday discharged a 2003 rule against the eviction of unauthorised people of Bihari community living outside the Bihari camps, reports UNB. An HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice JBM Hasan gave the order in a hearing on nine writ petitions filed in this connection. Besides, the court ordered for the rehabilitation of the Biharis having the national ID.
Advocate AFM Hasan Arim and Advocate Hafizur Rahman Khan argued for the petitioners during the hearing while Deputy Attorney General Goutom Kumar Ray and Assistant Attorney General Mahmuda Parvin Popi stood for the state.
Talking to reporters after the hearing, Assistant Attorney General Mahmuda Parvin Popi said the court with some observations discharged the rule that was issued earlier in response to nine writ petitions. Now there is no obstacle for the eviction of the unauthorised Biharis, she added.
Advocate Hafizur Rahman Khan, lawyer of the petitioners, said the order allowed the eviction of Biharis living outside the camps of Pallabi and Mohammadpur areas in Dhaka, and of Saidpur in Nilphamari.
On February 5, 2002, the then united Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) initiated a drive to evict shops and other establishments of Biharis outside Pallabi Bihari camp in the city.
Sadakat Khan, president of Urdu Speaking Peoples’ Youth Rehabilitation Movement’, and its member Shahid Ali Bablu filed a writ petition with the HC against the drive. Hearing the petition, the HC gave an interim order not to evict the Urdu-speaking people in Pallabi area without ensuring their rehabilitation.
Later, eight similar writ petitions were filed with the HC in different times following similar eviction drives by the authorities.
In 2003, Sadakat Khan filed another plea with the HC as the National Housing Authority (NHA) initiated another eviction drive in Pallabi.