ZCZC
BSS-13
SC-MOON-CINEMA
SC hands over cheque for over Tk 99cr to Moon cinema hall owner
DHAKA, Dec 17, 2019 (BSS) – The government today handed over a cheque for
Taka 99,21,73,074 crore to the owner of Moon cinema hall Maksudur Alam
through the Appellate Division.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, headed
by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain handed over the cheque to Maksudur Alam
and directed him to register the land in the name of Bangladesh Muktijoddah
Kalyan Trust by today or Wednesday or any convenient time.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the state while Barrister
Azmalul Hossain stood for Maksudur Alam.
“I have received an account payee cheque of TK 99,21,73,074.27,” said Moon
cinema hall owner Maksudur Alam, also the executive director of Italian
Marvels Works Ltd.
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 over 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 the regime of Ziaur Rahman.
Maksudur 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 the High Court order and asked
FFWT to hand over 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.
Bangladesh Italian Marble Works Ltd on August 18 gave a proposal to the
government for handing over its ownership to the Freedom Fighters’ Welfare
Trust upon completion of payment.
In the proposal, the company said it would hand over the properties of the
cinema hall, valued at around Tk100 crore, to the trust upon payment of the
value.
The Appellate Division asked the Italian Marble Works Ltd to submit its
written proposal on August 22.
On July 28, the Appellate Division ordered to pay the amount to the owner
of Moon Cinema Hall by August 18, and register the property of the cinema
hall in favour of the trust.
BSS/DA/TAN/ARS/1717 hrs