BELA serves legal notice to halt illegal 'Sunvalley housing' on wetlands
If demands are not met within seven days, legal proceedings will be taken to protect the environment
The Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) has served a legal notice demanding the halt of the "Sunvalley" housing project, developed by Swadesh Properties Limited, alleging illegal landfilling and construction on government khas land, flood flow zones, and designated waterbodies in the capital's Satarkul area.
According to a BELA press release, the project is being carried out without valid approvals and in violation of existing environmental and land use laws.
The legal notice, sent today, warns that if the illegal development activities are not stopped within seven days, BELA will pursue legal action.
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The notice has been served to the Secretaries of the Ministries of Environment, Land, and Housing; the Chairman of Rajuk; the Director General of the Department of Environment; the Dhaka Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police; and the Managing Director of Swadesh Properties Limited.
In the notice, BELA's Chief Executive Taslima Islam, said that the "Sunvalley" project is being implemented by filling areas classified in the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) as water retention zones and general flood flow areas in the capital's Badda, Satarkul, and Gojaria areas. Promotional activities and plot sales are ongoing despite a previous Rajuk directive to halt such operations.
"The approved layout of the Sunvalley housing project allows for development on approximately 119 acres," BELA said. "However, satellite imagery reveals that nearly 431 acres have been filled—an excess of 312 acres that fall entirely within protected water zones as per DAP."
According to the existing laws of the country, there is no provision to change the classification of land designated as a waterbody in the DAP, nor is there any scope to undertake development by filling these waterbodies with sand.
Moreover, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has emphasised the importance of preserving waterbodies.
"Such activities are not only environmentally destructive but also criminally liable under the country's laws," the legal notice reads.
In the legal notice, BELA strongly urged immediate action to halt the ongoing filling of all wetlands and designated flood flow zones identified in the DAP across Badda, Satarkul, and Gojaria mouzas, and demanded the prompt restoration of already filled areas to their original state.
The Sunvalley Housing project is located beside 100ft and Madani Avenue and comprises approximately 5,000 plots.
