Hatirjheel has been developed as a beautiful recreation center to alleviate the fatigue of civic life. More than 30 restaurants, big and small, have been set up illegally in Hatirjheel, which has opened new horizons for the aesthetics of the capital. About half of these restaurants are permanent, the rest in big carriages. The vehicles have been parked at certain places in Hatirjheel. However, these illegal installations have been leased by the RAJUK to various commercial entities. And with this opportunity, restaurants are illegally pursuing their commercial goals year after year.
In addition to the restaurant, there are various food shops in the van. There are more than 10 of these shops. Although there is no such facility in the master plan of Hatirjheel project, these restaurants have been built without any design. However, this time the owners of these business entities are worried because their commercial activities are going to be stopped under the direction of the High Court.
The High Court on Wednesday (June 30) declared the Hatirjheel-Begunbari project a ‘public trust’ property. At the same time, the court directed to remove all illegal business establishments in the project area within 60 days. The High Court bench of Justice MD Ashraful Kamal and Justice Rajik Al Jalil passed the verdict.
In the Hatirjheel-Begunbari project area, news was published in the media on August 1, 2018 that RAJUK remained inactive despite the activities of some illegal organizations outside the guidelines of the layout plan. A writ petition was filed in the High Court on behalf of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh in the public interest. Following the writ petition, the High Court announced the verdict.
The court said the Hatirjheel-Begunbari project in Dhaka was declared a ‘public trust’ in accordance with the Turag River judgment. In Hatirjheel project, all kinds of business establishments including hotels, restaurants, shops, establishments were declared illegal. All commercial establishments must be evicted within the next 60 days.
With this announcement of the High Court, what will be the future of more than thirty restaurants that have grown like weeds in Hatirjheel? - This question naturally arises. According to various sources, although there are no restaurants in the original design of the project, some vested interests allowed it. However, RAJUK claimed that these installations have been allowed to cover various expenses including maintenance of Hatirjheel.
Hatirjheel project is one of the most beautiful tourist destinations of the capital. However, unplanned installations are detrimental to the beauty of Hatirjheel as well as polluting the environment. As seen on the ground on Thursday (July 1), about half of the installations that were built to break the original design are permanent. The other half is being operated on a temporary basis. Most of the restaurants are built on the shores of the lake. Some have formed under the foot over bridge. Most illegal installations have been created very delicately. Many restaurant owners have set up shops with tin canopy, concrete, wooden deck, triple-umbrella and chair-table.
And these restaurants are using the space they want. In addition to food leftovers, plastic water bottles are being thrown everywhere. As a result, the beauty of Hatirjheel is being ruined and the water of the lake is being seriously polluted.
These restaurants in Hatirjheel include Bengali and Chinese, Yode, X-Bite, Easy Food Gallery, Alotopia, This Is Dhaka, Cruya Thai, Vista Logo, It Italia, Ice Cream Parlor, Ou Momo Foods, A & Ye Fish Factory Zone, Food On Truck, Big Burger And Cafe, Adda Mobile Restaurant, Nagar Mobile Restaurant, Nahar Kebab House, Nagar Fuchka House, Naibadya Mobile Restaurant, Hungry Restaurant, Twist Of Tasty, Food Mobile, Food Trip Restaurant, The Hang Out SOD, Jhil Kutum, TFC, Dhaka Durbar Restaurant, Fountain View. There are also some more anonymous restaurants. There is also a floating shop in one of the entertainment centers of the capital.
Incidentally, the full name of the Hatirjheel project is Hatirjheel-Begunbari integrated development project. The project was taken up by RAJUK in 2007. And it is implemented by the Special Works Organization of Bangladesh Army under RAJUK. The project has been implemented under the design and overall supervision of local consultants. The project is built on 302 acres of land. The aim of this project is to enhance the aesthetic beauty of Dhaka metropolis and to improve the overall environment including the communication system between the eastern and western parts of the capital. The project has constructed four bridges, four flyovers, about 17 km of roads, 260 meters viaducts and about 12 km of footpaths for vehicular traffic. It is known that there were many estates of the king's estate of Bhawal in the Tejgaon area including Hatirjheel. The elephant herd of the estate used to roam the lake here to bathe or drink water, hence the name Hatirjheel.