A division bench of the High Court HC in a landmark judgement yesterday issued a nine-point directive to the government to restore Gulshan-Baridhara and Gulshan-Banani lakes evicting illegal occupants.(The Independent)

It asked the government to take some specific measures including conducting an official survey to demarcate the lakes with a view to restoring their original position as per Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan, demolition of all illegal encroachments and ensuring an end to encroachments upon Gulshan-Banani and Gulshan-Baridhara lakes.

The HC in its landmark judgement upon a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) writ petition filed by Gulshan Society also asked the law enforcers to cooperate with the authorities concerned in executing the court orders.

Delivering the judgement the division bench comprising Justice ABM Khairul Haque and Justice M Momtazuddin Ahmed asked the government to comply with its orders by a January 31, 2010.

"Protect the nature and character of the lakes for all times in accordance with relevant laws of the land," the court order said. The HC judgement says if there is any valid occupant within the lakes, the RAJUK has to provide them with alternative plot elsewhere or compensation for eviction.

It also said the government and RAJUK could take "legal action against the encroachers and illegal occupants".

The surveys will be done with the help of the deputy commissioner of Dhaka and the directors general of Department of Land Record. The director general of the Department of Environment will ensure that environmental laws are followed during the tasks, the court directive said.

Besides, the binding HC judgement set February 15, 2010 the timeframe for the government to submit its progress report on its orders.

Barrister Ajmalul Hossain, QC, assisted by Barrister ABM Siddiqur Rahman Khan, appeared for the PIL petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Mustafa Zaman Islam for the government.