Five months have passed since the Appellate Division ordered the demolition of the BGMEA Bhaban for violating environmental rules, but city authorities are yet to lift a finger, reports bdnews24.com. The apex court has not published a copy of its full verdict, said capital development authority RAJUK, and the housing ministry, to explain the delay. But that is not reason enough for Munzill Murshid who was amicus curiae when the case was in the High Court. “This could be just an excuse to not raze the building,” the lawyer who specialises in environmental law, told bdnews24.com. The 16-storey headquarters of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) was built in violation of the Wetlands Protection Act nearly two decades ago at the capital’s Hatirjheel project. u Page 15 col. In 1998, then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina set the foundation stone for the building and construction works began on Nov 28 that year. It was then inaugurated by Khaleda Zia, prime minister in 2006. The High Court ordered it to be taken down in 2011. The top court on Jun 2 this year upheld the verdict. “The BGMEA Bhaban is like a cancer in the Hatirjheel project and if the building is not taken down immediately, it will infect not just Hatirjheel but the entire Dhaka City,” said the High Court in its verdict. It also said ‘the reason behind leaving a certain influential quarter with strong financial backup beyond law’s reach is completely unacceptable’. The authorities are undecided about who should pay for the demolition, RAJUK Chairman M Bazlul Karim Chaudhury told bdnews24.com, when asked about the delay. “There are costs to demolition. We don’t know if the RAJUK or BGMEA is supposed to bear it. We can’t come to a decision until we get the full verdict. “We have to be clear about RAJUK’s role in this. This matter will not be solved without the full verdict.” Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain said it should not take very long to start demolition work once the full verdict is out. “We have appointed a lawyer who is working in this matter. I have also spoken to the attorney general. We will demolish the building when we get a copy of the verdict,” the minister said. But Munzill Murshid, who heads Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, said there was no need for delay and the building can be taken down without a copy of the verdict. The BGMEA appealed to overturn the High Court’s verdict but their plea was rejected, therefore the High Court’s verdict is upheld, he said. “The authorities have the copy of that verdict. So there is no reason for putting off the demolition. The Appellate Division’s verdict is not important here. It has upheld what the High Court decreed.” City authorities can progress with the work to tear down the building even if the BGMEA files a review petition against the Appellate verdict. “The judgment will not be stayed even if there is a review. Without a stay, there can be no bar against the demolition order.” There is very little precedence of verdicts being overturned at review level, said Murshid. BGMEA President Siddiqur Rahman also said they were waiting for a copy of the full Appellate verdict. “We are very respectful towards the law. If the court turns down our review then whatever is in the verdict will happen.”
