HC orders recovery of encroached land at Infectious Diseases Hospital in Mohakhali

The High Court today directed the authorities concerned to recover the encroached land of Infectious Diseases Hospital in Dhaka’s Mohakhali, and hand it over to the hospital authorities in 30 days.

The court also ordered to submit a report before it after complying with the order.

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In addition, a rule was issued asking the authorities to explain why their inaction and failure to recover the encroached land should not be declared illegal.

The bench of Justice Khizir Ahmed Choudhury and Justice Md Ziaul Haque issued the order and rule following a public interest writ petition seeking necessary directives.

Advocate Md Shofiqul Islam Mizan, who appeared for the petitioner, told reporters that the High Court directed the health ministry to recover the encroached land and restore possession to the hospital in 30 days.

The ministry has also been asked to submit a compliance report to the court.

The writ petition was filed by Paupers Legal Aid Foundation after a report titled, "Hospital loses 30 acres of land", was published in daily Ittefaq on April 3.

Following the report, the foundation sought information from the hospital authorities, who informed it that the hospital has been allotted 32 acres of land.

Of this, about eight acres are occupied by the hospital's seven-storey main building, staff quarters, a mosque and a water pump.

According to the hospital authorities, the remaining land has been occupied by various government establishments, including buildings of Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC), National Electro-Medical Equipment Maintenance Workshop and Training Centre (NIMU & TC), a Transport and Equipment Maintenance Organization (TEMO) workshop, a warehouse of Directorate General of Family Planning, IPH School, staff quarters of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, and residential quarters for officials and employees of the National Cancer Hospital and the Leprosy Hospital.

The authorities further said they have no records showing any lawful allocation of land in favour of those establishments.

They also said that although the hospital continues to pay land revenue for the entire 32 acres every year, a large portion of the vacant land has been illegally occupied by outsiders, who have constructed permanent and semi-permanent houses, shops, a makeshift market, an ice factory, rickshaw and auto-rickshaw garages, and other unauthorised structures.

The foundation subsequently filed the writ petition with the High Court, attaching the newspaper report and other media reports on the alleged encroachment.