The Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), a government entity responsible for promoting the nation’s agricultural sector, is under scrutiny for violating crucial environmental and urban planning regulations in the establishment of a tissue culture laboratory. The controversy surrounds the construction of a four-story building on an 11-acre portion of the 117-acre Goidartek pond, a critical component in flood prevention for significant parts of Dhaka. The location is clearly designated as a retention zone in Rajuk’s Detailed Area Plan (DAP) 2010. Despite objections from environmental advocates and the absence of clearances from Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) or the Department of Environment (DoE), BADC proceeded with the project. This action contravenes the Environment Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2010, and the Building Construction Act, 1952. Notably, the primary building structure is near completion, with additional structures and boundary walls also in progress, signaling a blatant disregard for legal protocols by a governmental body.
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has made repeated appeals to BADC to halt construction, even proposing alternative sites for the laboratory. Despite these efforts, construction activities persisted. In response to a petition filed by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), the High Court ruled the construction unlawful in January of the previous year and directed BADC to restore the pond within three months. However, BADC obtained a stay order from the Supreme Court, enabling the continuation of its operations.
Initially designated as a retention pond in the Structure Plan 1997 of the Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan (DMDP) and later incorporated into DAP 2010, Goidartek is also identified as a water-regulating pond in DNCC’s zoning scheme. The chairman of BADC has asserted that the 68-acre disputed land, acquired for the Department of Agriculture in 1958, is classified as arable land, presenting a conflicting stance that requires urgent resolution.
Experts caution that any disturbance or obstruction of the pond could disrupt Dhaka’s drainage system, as the Kallyanpur canal and its tributaries divert stormwater before it reaches the Buriganga River. Encroachment in this area would impede the city’s drainage network, exacerbating waterlogging in Mirpur, Kallyanpur, Agargaon, Mohammadpur, and nearby vicinities. Urging immediate intervention, stakeholders advocate for the cessation of BADC’s construction, restoration of the water retention area, and accountability for the degradation incurred. Dhaka has already lost a substantial portion of its natural water resources, ponds, and canals due to haphazard urban development and encroachments. Preserving the remaining water bodies is imperative for the city’s sustainability and resilience.