The High Court has ordered authorities to demolish illegal structures built around a grave near the Central Shaheed Minar within 72 hours.
The High Court bench of Justice Kazi Rezaul Haque and Justice Abu Taher M Saifur Rahman passed the order on Thursday following the final hearing on a rule issued by the bench in 2012 over the matter.
The court also ordered the authorities to keep the grave unharmed.
The 72 hour time frame will start when the authorities get a copy of the verdict in hand.
Lawyer Manzill Murshid said that historian Prof Muntasir Mamun filed a writ petition with the High Court on February 22, 2012 attaching news cutting from a Bangla language daily published on February 20.
The news item said a so-called shrine had been erected on an ordinary grave of an unidentified person near the Shaheed Minar. The 'shrine' had become a source of income for some people, his petition said.
The historian told the court there was no evidence any Sufi saint had been laid to rest in that grave.
Holding a primary hearing into the petition, the High Court on that day issued a rule asking the authorities as to why they will not be ordered to protect the Shaheed Minar from the illegal encroachment.
The court also asked to demolish all structures which had been built in the name of the shrine except the grave, within 48 hours.
Within three days public works department demolished some structures. A building built atop the grave was also padlocked.
Manzill Murshid said, following the final order, the Dhaka University vice chancellor, Executive Engineer (Civil Division), Dhaka's deputy commissioner and the Shahbagh poice station officer-in-charge will take the initiative to demolish the rest of the illegal structure from the place while keeping the grave intact.
