HC orders stop to building car park at Lalbagh Fort

The High Court yesterday directed the authorities concerned to stop within 24 hours the construction of a car park by razing the boundary wall of historic Lalbagh Fort in Old Dhaka.

Responding to a writ petition, the court also issued a rule asking why the authorities should not be directed to protect the 17th century Mughal fort and restore the demolished wall to its original state. It asked for a compliance report within seven days.

The director general of the Department of Archaeology, its deputy director concerned, curator of Lalbagh Fort, and officer-in-charge of Lalbagh Police Station have to comply with the order, petitioner's counsel Manzil Murshid told The Daily Star.

Secretary to the ministry of cultural affairs and the four aforementioned officials have been made respondents to the rule, he added. 

Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman came up with the order and rule following the petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB).

The Daily Star on June 26 published a photo with a caption, saying a portion of the boundary wall was knocked down to make 

way for a car park inside the heritage site, ignoring law.

Bangla daily the Prothom Alo also published a report on this issue.

The HRPB submitted the photo and the report along with the writ petition, saying that in 2011, the HC directed the authorities to remove illegal structures in and around the fort to protect its beauty, nature, and archaeological heritage.