Industrial plots: HC orders to formulate guideline for allocations

The High Court today directed the ministry of housing and public works to formulate a guideline for allocating industrial plots at the capital’s Begunbari-Hatirjheel development project.
Delivering judgement on a 12-year-old suomuto (voluntary) rule, the court also ordered the ministry to complete the process of setting up industries at the area in next two years by issuing notice to those who have violated the relevant contract and have not yet constructed industrial establishments after considering their logical reasons through conducting inquiry.
Otherwise, the government can take legal action against those who have not set up industries there for breach of contract, the HC bench of Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman and Justice AKM Rabiul Hassan observed in the verdict.
Earlier on May 10, 2012, another bench, led by Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik, who is now retired as an Appellate Division judge, had issued the suomuto rule questioning the legality of the process for allotment of plots allegedly prepared on a proposed 60-feet-wide road of the capital’s Begunbari-Hatirjheel development project and stayed the process for allotments.
The bench had issued the rule and order following a newspaper report published on the daily Samakal on March 24, 2010.
Headlined “Sarak prokolpo ratarati hoye gelo shilpo plot” (road project became industrial plot overnight), the report said the BNP-led four-party alliance government allocated the road to the state ministers in 2006, violating a plan of 1994.
The HC bench headed by Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman in its verdict lifted the stay order and disposed of the rule, Senior Advocate Manzill Murshid, an intervener of the case, told The Daily Star.
He said total 24 plots have reportedly been allocated at the area and questions were raised about the plots which were allotted to the owners of business organisations Rupali Sweater, Khabarpatra, Bangladesh Telecom, Auto Flowers Mill, Brothers Garments and Focus Fashion.
Manzill Murshid, also president of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, also said the plots are now under the possessions of the people who were given the allotments.
A section lawyers including Md Ruhul Quddis Kazal, Raghib Rauf Chowdhury, KM Mainuddin Ishaque, Abdul Aleem Bhuiyan Jewel, Advocate Zulhas Uddin Ahmed, Imam Hossain, Sabbir Hamza, Mosharraf Hossain, Mohammad Ali, Julhas Uddin appeared for the plot owners and lawyers Nazrul Islam Khandkar and Sukumar Biswas represented the ministry of housing and public works during hearing of the rule.