SC may decide on removal Jan 31

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court may decide on January 31 whether the government can remove the Kalyanpur Pora Bosti (slum) from the land of the Housing and Building Research Institute in the capital.

Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice Hasan Foez Siddique yesterday sent a government petition, that sought a stay on the January 21 High Court order, which issued injunction on the removal for next three months, to a full bench of the apex court and fixed January 31 for a hearing.

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Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, who moved the petition before the chamber judge yesterday, said the government cannot continue removing the slum until January 31 as per the HC order.

Citing the petition, he said around 75 percent of the slum has already been removed and a vast portion of the land had been occupied by some goons in the name of slum dwellers. The HC came up with the order following a petition filed by rights organisations Ain o Salish Kendra and Coalition for the Urban Poor and two slum dwellers.