The High Court on Tuesday ordered the authorities concerned to submit within 30 days a list of those who have occupied the land of Bangladesh Railway in different parts of the country, reports UNB.
The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order after hearing a petition filed by a human rights organisation.
Senior Advocate Manzill Murshid stood for the petitioner while deputy attorney general Md Saifuddin Khaled represented the state.
The HC also issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the inaction of the respondents to free the land of railway should not be declared unlawful and directives should not be given to evict the land grabbers.
Secretary to the Railway Ministry, Director of Bangladesh Railway and assistant land officers have been made respondents to the rule which is returnable in two weeks.
It also wanted to know how much land of Bangladesh Railway has been occupied by the land grabbers.
Advocate Manzill Murshid, said in 2016, a writ petition was filed seeking directives to evict the encroachers from the land of railway land in Narayanganj. Later, a number of reports were published over encroachment of railway land in Sirajganj, Bogura, Pabna and other districts.
Hundreds of acres of land of Bangladesh Railway have been occupied due to involvement of some unscrupulous railway officials and these lands needed to be free from occupation, he said. It is possible only through the intervention of the court, he added.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
