BGMEA Building: Another year sought for demolition

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has recently filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking one more year before demolition of its 15-storey building constructed illegally on the capital's Begunbari Canal and Hatirjheel Lake.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain is set to hear the petition tomorrow.

The BGMEA in its petition requested the apex court to extend by one year its earlier order that postponed the demolition saying they were not fully prepared to flatten such a huge building.

Citing from the petition, BGMEA lawyer Imtiaz Moinul Islam told The Daily Star that the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) has allocated land to the BGMEA in the capital's Uttara for constructing its new office complex.

The BGMEA has already started constructing the new building but needs onemore year to relocate its office, he added.

The lawyer further said the SC had earlier extended its order twice that stayed demolition of the building. The last extension order expires on April 12.

Following another time petition filed by the BGMEA, the SC on October 8 last year extended its stay order till April 12.

The apex court the same day said it would not extend the deadline further.

Earlier on March 5 last year, the SC dismissed a petition filed by the BGMEA seeking a review of its judgement upholding a High Court order delivered in 2011 for demolishing the structure.