Representative of the Bangladesh’s thriving RMG sector, the 16-storey building of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturer and Exporters Association (BGMEA) is all set to go after the Supreme Court of the country upheld a 2011 High Court verdict which ordered demolition of the building, reportedly built illegally on the Begunbari-Hatirjheel canal in Dhaka.
The apex garment manufacturers’ body is now reportedly contemplating to file a review petition with the Supreme Court.
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“I personally feel that demolition of the BGMEA building will have a very bad effect on the garment sector and the economy of the country, as the economy depends on the garment industry,” reportedly maintained BGMEA’s lawyer, Barrister Rafique-ul Huq, on the impending demolition of the structure.
Inaugurated by former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in October 2006, the BGMEA building was set to be demolished earlier after the High Court in April 2011 ordered authorities to bring down the structure within three months, saying it was built on a land acquired through forgery. The High Court underlined that the records submitted by the office of Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka proved that the land was acquired for the then East Bengal Railway in 1910 and it was in the possession of the Bangladesh Railway until 2006, which later on handed over the land to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) in 2006. However, according to documents submitted by BGMEA, it was reportedly stated that the traders’ body had purchased the land from EPB in 2001.
The Supreme Court, following a petition filed by the BGMEA stayed the High Court order subsequently.
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According to experts, the BGMEA building reportedly stands in the way of the storm drainage system – one of the Hatirjheel integrated scheme’s prime objectives – to drain storm-water out of Paribagh, Karwan Bazar and Eskaton.
