TDS Desk

The High Court has halted the previous government’s allocation of 9,467 acres of land in Sonadia Island of Moheshkhali, Cox’s Bazar to the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) for the establishment of an eco-tourism park.

After hearing a writ petition filed by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), the bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury issued the order on Tuesday.

Assistant Attorney General Mujahidul Islam Shaheen represented the state during the hearing.

The Cox’s Bazar district administration had given a long-term lease of the land to BEZA for a token payment of Tk1,001.

According to BELA, the allocation was intended to facilitate the construction of the country’s largest eco-tourism park, which BEZA claims will boost the tourism industry and contribute to the national economy.

Former BEZA executive chairman Paban Chowdhury previously noted that the park’s development would be supported by a master plan designed by Mahindra Engineering, an Indian consultancy firm.

Although the island was once considered for a deep-sea port, plans shifted towards transforming it into an economic zone through eco-tourism initiatives. However, as per the Environment Conservation Act of 1995, any activities adversely impacting the island’s ecological balance are prohibited.

The allocation at such a nominal price has raised concerns about potential violations of environmental laws and the exclusion of local communities in development planning. The former BEZA chief had earlier said that the final details of Sonadia’s long-term tourism development would become clear once the master plan was completed.