Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association (BGMEA) today secured a one-year extension, for the last time (as it is being said in media reports), to demolish their central office building in Dhaka after giving an undertaking.
The Supreme Court allowed the time extension, pushing back the demolition date to April 12 next year, after completing the hearing of BGMEA’s time plea on April 2, 2018.
Meanwhile, during the hearing today, BGMEA handed over an undertaking to the apex court promising that they would not seek further extension of time for demolishing their illegal office building, now located on Begunbari canal and Hatirjheel Lake in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hussain-led four-member Appellate Division bench of the Supreme Court passed the order today in response to the time plea moved by BGMEA earlier.
In April 2011, Bangladesh’s High Court ruled that BGMEA’s building was built on land acquired through forged papers and landfilled illegally. Back then, it gave three months to bring down the complex.
However, not a finger was laid on the building before the Supreme Court intervened on June 2016, upholding the demolition order of the 15-storeyed building as ordered by the High Court.
Then, on multiple occasions, the date for demolition was repeatedly deferred. The Supreme Court was annoyed and expressed severe discontent when BGMEA approached the court a few days ago, ahead of the scheduled April 12 demolition order, for yet another time extension.
On March 27 this year, during the hearing on BGMEA’s time plea, the apex court demanded that the apparel manufacturers file an undertaking, swearing not to seek further time for demolition.
