A writ petition was filed with the High Court seeking its directives on the authorities concerned to stop tree-cutting at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan, while a contempt of court petition was also filed with the HC on the issue.
Six rights organisations and an individual person filed the writ petition while two other persons filed the contempt of court petition on Sunday (May 9).
Advocate Minhazul Haque Chowdhury, a lawyer of the Supreme Court, filed the writ petition on behalf of the organisations and the person.
The six rights organisations are Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan (BAPA), Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD), Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) and Nijera Kori. The individual person is Architect Mobashsher Majumder.
The High Court bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice SM Moniruzzaman may hold hearing on the writ petition on May 19, said Advocate Minhazul Haque Chowdhury.
Earlier on Thursday (May 6), the rights organisations and the person sent a legal notice to the authorities concerned asking them to stop the tree felling in the Suhrawardy Udyan within 48 hours. The notice was sent to Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), Housing and Public Works Ministry, Forest, Environment and Climate Change Ministry, Liberation War Affairs Ministry, Local Government Division (LGD), Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), Department of Environment, and Department of Public Works.
The petitioners filed the writ petition for not getting any response of the notice, said Advocate Minhazul Haque Chowdhury.
Another legal notice was also sent on the same issue.
Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Manzill Murshid on behalf of the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh and two other persons served the notice to secretary of the Liberation War Affairs Ministry, chief engineer of Department of Public Works and country’s chief architect.
It was alleged that the trees were felling to build restaurants or shops on the commercial purpose damaging the original structure of the Suhrawardy Udyan and heritage which is violation of the environmental law.
Advocate Manzill Murshid said that building restaurants inside the historic place is also a violation of a High Court’s directive that issued in 2009 where the higher court asked the government to save the sanctity of the historic place of the Bangladesh War of Liberation. So, he on behalf of two petitioners filed the contempt of court petition on charge of cutting down trees to implement a mega project at the site.
The two petitioners-- Mahbubul Islam and Ripan Barai-- sought the High Court’s directive on three government officials. The officials are secretary of Liberation War Affairs Ministry Tapan Kanti Ghosh, chief engineer of Department of Public Works Department Md Shamim Akhter, and chief of architect Mir Manzur Rahman.
Petitioners’ lawyer Advocate Manzill Murshid said that the HC may hear the petition any day.
The government has taken a project named Shadhinota Stambha (third phase) in Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital. The primary design of the project had no provision for cutting down trees, but many trees were cut down for walkways that were included in the redesign later. Most of the trees are mehgani, shishu, and ekashia trees.
Green activists and different organisations protested cutting down of the trees.
The Department of Architecture under the Housing and Public Works Ministry designed the third phase of the project. Under the project, the location of the historic March 7 speech and the place where the Pakistani occupation army surrendered and other historical events of the Liberation War took place will be preserved. Sculptures will be constructed at the places where the Pakistani army surrendered to the joint force, and where then-Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi delivered her speech after the Liberation War.
According to the project, Swadhinata Stambha plaza will be renovated and a podium for public meeting, benches and a water reservoir will be constructed there.
Walkways are being widened for walking of people. Benches will be built for the visitors. Seven food kiosks are being built for people. There will be restrooms for men, women, children and persons with disabilities, as well as rain shelters.
