ZCZC
BSS-28
SC-COMPENSATION-MOON-CINEMA
SC extends time to compensate Moon Cinema Hall owner
DHAKA, Dec 10, 2018 (BSS) – The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court
(SC) today extended time till June 30, 2019, to pay Taka around 99 crore to
the owner of Moon Cinema Hall in capital’s Waiz Ghat area in compensation.
A four-member Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud
Hossain passed the order, asking Ministry of Liberation War Affairs and
Ministry of Finance to pay the money within the stipulated time.
The apex court asked the secretaries of the two ministries concerned to
appear before it if they fail to comply with the latest order.
Earlier on October 8, the court ordered to pay the money in compensation
and the Ministry of Finance also had agreed to comply with the order.
The ministry in its reply had informed that it would take initiative to
allocate Taka 99.21 crore under Freedom Fighters’ Welfare Trust (FFWT) in the
budget of current fiscal to pay it to the owner of Moon Cinema Hall. The
property was declared abandoned and handed over to Freedom Fighters’
Welfare Trust during rule of Ziaur Rahman.
Maqsudul Alam, managing director of Italian Marble Works Limited, company
which owned the cinema hall, later demanded the ownership of the property and
lodged a case in this regard in 2000.
The High Court held hearing on the plea, and on August 29, 2005, passed an
order, declaring taking power of Khandaker Mushtaq Ahmed, Justice Abu Sadat
Mohammad Sayem and Ziaur Rahman as illegal and unconstitutional.
Later, the Appellate Division also upheld High Court order and asked FFWT
to hand Moon Cinema Hall to its owner back within 90 days.
After that on January 10, 2012, Italian Marble Works Limited filed a
contempt of court case against six office bearers of FFWT to get back its
property. The Appellate Division on January 15, 2017, ordered to submit a
report evaluating and fixing price of the property by an experienced and
neutral engineer.
BSS/DA/TRAN/MHR/RY/1748 hrs