The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today (Jan 22) upheld the High Court order to demolish Gulshan Shopping Centre, situated in Gulshan-1.

The Appellate Division bench led by Chief Justice Obaidul Hasan rejected the appeal filed against the High Court verdict today.

Attorney General AM Amin Uddin moved for Rajuk in the court while Advocate Ahsanul Karim represented the petitioner Zia Amin. Lawyers Prabir Niyogi and Mostak Ahmed Chowdhury appeared for the writ petitioner in the High Court.

On December 14 last year, the High Court ordered the demolition of a shopping centre after the owners failed to ensure fire safety in the building. 

Justice Md Atabullah's bench issued a directive to Dhaka North City Corporation, the capital development authority and others to implement the demolition order within 30 days.

Earlier in July, two companies named 'Bani Chitra' and 'Chalchchitra' filed a writ petition seeking demolition orders for the shopping mall.

A ruling was also issued for the preliminary hearing of the petition on that day.

On May 28, Fire Service and Civil Defence officials visited the shopping centre and found 10 fire hazards in the building.

Later, the building owners were instructed to mend the fire safety issues of the market housing 723 shops.

The fire service reported back, citing that the mall owners had overlooked the orders.

The fire service in 2018 declared the shopping centre 'unfit for use' after a devastating fire incident raged through the DNCC Market next to the shopping centre in 2017. They revisited the building in 2021 and confirmed that it was unfit.

BDST: 1323 HRS, JAN 22, 2024
SMS