The High Court yesterday declared illegal the Rimjhim Police Town and Italian City housing projects under Rupganj upazila in Narayanganj.

The court also ordered authorities concerned to bring the land to its original shape, which was changed for construction of the housing projects.

The bench of Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice Md Ataur Rahman Khan delivered  the verdict after hearing a petition challenging the legality of the projects.

The HC order came as the projects were being constructed on over 5,000 acres of land in violation of the Bangladesh Environment Protection Act, 1995, said Advocate Taimur Alam Khondaker.

The lawyer said following the HC directive, owners of the projects cannot carry on the construction work. 

The authorities of Rimjhim Police Town and Italian City projects forcibly grabbed and filled up agricultural land. Numerous news reports were published in newspapers in this regard. Following the reports, locals communicated the matter to the department of environment (DoE) for taking appropriate steps.

However,  DoE did not take any effective steps, he added.

Deputy Attorney General Amit Talukder said the DoE has submitted a report to the HC, saying that some of the lands of the projects were not purchased by the owners, but were illegally grabbed and filled withearth.