The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a High Court verdict that had declared Modhumoti Model Town illegal, a housing project of Metro Makers and Developers Limited in a flood-flow zone at Aminbazar in Savar.
Metro Makers and Developers Limited, a concern of Bhaia Group, told the court that it had prepared about 3,500 housing plots on 550 acres of land in the project and about 3,000 of the plots had already been handed over.
In February the court completed the hearing in the appeals but did not deliver the verdict then.
The details of the Appellate Division’s verdict were not pronounced in the open court.
Former attorney general Mahmudul Islam, Syeda Rizwana Hasan and Iqbal Kabir represented the BELA, Ajmalul Hossain and Rokanuddn Mahmud defended the Metro Maker Developers and Madhumati while Rafique-ul Haque and Abdur Razzaq appeared for the plot purchasers.
The High Court had declared Modhumoti Model Town housing project illegal, the site of which was Mouza Bila and Baliarpur near Aminbazaar, and pointed out that its location violated certain provisions of the Town Improvement Act 1953 and RAJUK’s master plan.
The authorities have been directed to protect the sub-flood flow zone near Aminbazaar and check any further earth filling by Modhumoti Model Town.
The Modhumoti Model Town housing project has also been directed to refrain from filling earth in any more plots without RAJUK’s permission, said the HC verdict.
It also said that considering the interest of numerous purchasers of plots in the Madhumati Model Town project, the court was not inclined to direct the authorities to re-excavate the plots in the sub-flood flow zone.
According to the BELA, the Modhumoti Model Town project filled up 550 acres of the sub-flood flow zone in defiance of the laws. Metro Makers continued land filling and selling of plots despite RAJUK’s repeated cautionary notices.
Plot buyers of the project are now worried about their fate. BELA Lawyer said it would be known after the full text of the SC verdict had been obtained.