HC issues rule against Ctg Port chief, four others in Karnaphuli lease case

Bangla Press Desk:  The High Court on Sunday issued a contempt of court rule against the chairman of Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) and four other officials for allegedly violating court directives by deciding to lease out land of the Karnaphuli River.

The rule was issued in a public interest litigation filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) over protection of the Karnaphuli River.

The contemnors are CPA Chairman Rear Admiral SM Moniruzzaman, Additional Secretary to the administration Md Habibur Rahman, member (finance) Md Shahidul Alam, member (engineering) Commodore Kausar Rashid and Assistant Manager (estate) Mohammad Raihan Uddin.

The HC asked them to explain why they should not be punished for contempt for disobeying earlier verdicts and directives related to protection of the Karnaphuli River.

At the same time, the court ordered a status quo on all activities concerning the land under BRS Dag No. 601 of Firingibazar mouza.

The order was passed by a HC bench of Justice Fahmida Kader and Justice Mohammad Asif Hasan following a hearing.

Earlier, the HC had issued several directives in the HRPB case, instructing the authorities to protect the Karnaphuli River as per survey records, evict illegal structures from the riverbanks and take legal action under the Water Body Conservation Act against any move altering the river’s natural status.

During the hearing, HRPB’s Counsel and Senior Advocate Manzill Murshid argued that despite clear court orders, CPA had decided to lease out land identified as river area in official surveys to Chattogram City Corporation, amounting to blatant contempt of court.

He also pointed out that similar violations in the past had led the court to issue contempt rules and stay orders against CPA.

Advocates Md Sarwar Ahad Chowdhury and Ekhlas Uddin Bhuiyan appeared as petitioners, while Senior Advocate Manzill Murshid argued the case on behalf of HRPB. Source: daily Sun
BP/TD