The Supreme Court has directed Parliament Secretariat to submit the original master plan of Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, designed by American architect Louis Kahn, before the court within three months.
The Appellate Division issued the order yesterday after hearing an appeal filed by the government against a High Court verdict.
The High Court had declared the residences of parliament speaker and deputy speaker near the parliament building illegal in a verdict on June 21, 2004.
At the hearing yesterday, Additional Attorney General Murad Reza argued that the High Court had declared the establishments illegal without examining the master design of the parliament building.
“Those residential buildings cannot be declared illegal without examining the master plan, which is currently in the archive of Pennsylvania State University,” he told the apex court.
During its first regime, the Awami League took the initiative of building the residences of the speaker and deputy speaker near the parliament.
Later, the BNP government in 2002 launched the construction work of the residential quarters, which was challenged by Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan and the Institute of Architects in 2003 claiming it violated Kahn’s original plan.
Holding a primary hearing, the High Court then stayed the construction work by issuing a ruling, which was later vacated by the Appellate Division.
Later, the High Court declared the construction illegal with a directive to declare the parliament complex a national heritage and to apply to the Unesco for its recognition as a World Heritage Site.
The Supreme Court then stayed the verdict when the state moved with an appeal. The construction of the buildings were completed after the High Court verdict was stayed.
Later, the Appellate Division accepted the state’s leave to appeal plea and started hearing the petition yesterday.
