The High Court on Monday asked the authorities concerned to stop all kinds of activities of unauthorised Millennium City Limited for illegal earth filling in Totail canal, agricultural land, and water bodies in Keraniganj.
The HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Atabullah passed the order following a writ petition filed by several rights organisations including Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela).
This company was developing a housing project by filling lands on 10 acres of low-lying area at the Totail Beel, at Taranagar union of Keraniganj.
The water body has been marked as wetlands in the Detailed Area Plan (DAP).
The court also issued a rule asking authorities concerned why the inaction of the authorities concerned regarding the construction of the unauthorised "Millennium City" project by illegally filling canals, reservoirs and agricultural land should not be declared illegal.
The director general of the environment department, the deputy commissioner of Dhaka, and the chairman of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) have been made respondents.
In the petition, the relevant organizations claimed that Millennium City Limited, an unapproved housing project, had carried out unlawful actions without obtaining permission from the Rajuk, the Department of Environment, or other pertinent authorities.
In addition, the High Court ordered the authorities to explain within four weeks.
Advocate Minhajul Haque Chowdhury and Advocate S Hasanul Banna moved for writ petitioners, while Assistant Attorney General Salim Azad Sarkar represented the state in the hearing.