Dhaka: A legal notice was served on the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) chairman on Thursday asking him to take steps in seven days to pull down the 'BGMEA Complex' constructed on the city’s Hatirjheel Lake.

Advocate Manzill Murshid, president of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), sent the notice.

“Your (Rajuk chairman’s) activities are tantamount to contempt of court. Inform me after taking necessary steps in seven days to dismantle the BGMEA building or I’ll lodge a contempt of court case against you,” he said in the notice.

The lawyer sent the notice to the Rajuk chairman for not demolishing the BGMEA Complex within the stipulated time set by the Supreme Court (SC).

In his notice, Murshid said the Supreme Court had directed the BGMEA authorities to pull down its building within 90 days, warning that the Rajuk authorities would bring the 15-storey building down if they fail to complete the work.

However, Rajuk did not take any step to dismantle building although the deadline fixed by the apex court expired on February 28, he added.

Meanwhile, the hearing on an appeal filed by the BGMEA authorities seeking a three-year time for demolishing the 'BGMEA Complex' will be held on Sunday.

They filed the petition with the apex court on Wednesday.

On behalf of the apex trade body of the country’s garment sector, Barrister Imtiaz Mainul Islam submitted the petition to the court.

Barrister Mainul said it is not possible to pull down the BGMEA Complex overnight as offices situated in the high-rise building will have to be relocated first. “For this, the BGMEA authorities need minimum three years,” he said.

“We haven’t yet found land for constructing another building. And it’s not possible to construct the building overnight even if the land is available as there are many procedures, including taking permission from the Rajuk and other offices, for this. So, we need time to pull down the building,” the lawyer said.  

On March 5, the SC turned down the petition filed by the BGMEA authorities seeking review of its earlier judgment that had upheld a High Court order over the demolition of the BGMEA Complex.

A three-member Appellate Division bench, headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, had passed the order, clearing the way for bringing down the 15-storey building.

On November 8 last year, the SC released the full text of its verdict upholding the HC judgment that ordered BGMEA to immediately demolish the building at its own cost.

On December 8, the BGMEA authorities filed a petition urging the apex court to review its verdict.