TDS Desk

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the review petition of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) challenging the appellate division’s verdict declaring the Ashiyan City housing project in the capital’s Khilkhet legal.

The full bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, announced the verdict on Thursday, confirmed Advocate Ahsanul Karim who represented the defendant.

As a result of the final legal battle’s result there is no longer any obstacle to operating the residential project, he added.

On 22 November last year the Supreme Court declared the Ashiyan City housing project in the capital’s Dakshinkhan area as legal, concluding an 11-year-long legal battle. The full bench of the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan announced the judgment.

The judgement also brought relief to some of the families, including non-resident Bangladeshis, who bought plots there but could not start building their homes due to the legal bar.

Later, Bela filed a review petition against the verdict of appellate division.

In 2012, the Bela along with several other NGOs filed a writ petition with the High Court, seeking a ban on all activities of Ashiyan City.

The petitioners argued that Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) had no lawful authorities to approve the Ashiyan City project covering 43.11 acres of land.

In 2016, the High Court, after a two-stage hearing, declared the operation of the Ashiyan City Housing project valid, scrapping its earlier judgement that had declared the project illegal in 2014.

The government and Bela filed two separate appeals against the High Court’s judgement in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.