Pay Tk 100cr to Moon Cinema Hall owner by June 30: SC

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs to pay Tk 100 crore to the owner of Moon cinema hall by June 30 next year.   

A seven-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order during hearing a time petition filed by Attorney General Mahbubey Alam.

The SC this morning was hearing a contempt of court petition filed by Maksudul Alam, currently managing director of Bangladesh Italian Marble Works Ltd who was the owner of Moon Cinema Hall. 

The Apex Court on October 8 this year ordered the Freedom Fighters’ Welfare Trust to pay Tk 100 crore to the owner of Moon Cinema Hall by December 8.

As the date has already been expired, the AG filed four-month time petition.

If the ministry fails to pay the money as per the order, the secretaries of the Finance Ministry and the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs have to appear before the court on June 30.

In May 2011, the court declared the 5th Amendment to the constitution unlawful and asked Muktijoddah Kalyan Trust to return the property of Moon Cinema Hall within three months.

Earlier in 2000, Italian Marble Works filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.

On August 29, 2005 the HC declared Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of Bangladesh illegal, which legitimised the governments that were in power from the time of the August 15, 1975, coup through April 9, 1979.

The then government announced a decree in 1977 that blocked challenges against the government's decisions to declare the property abandoned.

Moon Cinema Hall owner filed a contempt of court petition with the apex court on January 10, 2012 against the authorities concerned of the government and Muktijodhha Kalyan Trust for not executing its order.

Later, on January 15, 2017, the SC ordered the authorities concerned to assess the value of the land of the cinema hall and other establishments with the help of a skilled and neutral engineer.

With UNB inputs