The High Court on Monday declared illegal the government decision to allocate two and a half acres of land of Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital for the use as a golf course by Dhaka Club violating environment law.

Since the land of the historical ground at Shahbagh is a public property, the court said it cannot be allocated to a private club for making it a golf course.

Public Works Department in February 2008 during the military-backed caretaker government allocated the land of the open park where independence hero Sheikh Mujibur Rahman made his historic speech on March 7, 1971–only days before the Liberation War had begun–and the Pakistani occupation army surrendered.

Meanwhile, prime minister Sheikh Hasina the same day–while addressing a reception at the Dhaka Cantonment–said her government was working to preserve all historic places including the Suhrawardy Udyan in memory of the Liberation War.

She said the work on construction of Shikha Chirantan, Open Stage, underground museum, audio-visual room and terracotta mural at the Suhrawardy Udyan was underway, while a glass tower of the independence monument will be built at a cost of Taka 137 crore.

What a Seleucus!