The High Court on Sunday directed the government to take steps to preserve the 300-year-old ancestral house of famed scientist Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose in Munshiganj.
The court asked the director general of the Archaeology Department, the deputy commissioner of Munshiganj and the officer-in-charge of Srinagar Police Station to carry out its order within seven days to protect the ancient house.Following a writ petition, an HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Ashraful Kamal also issued a rule on the government to explain as to why the failure to preserve the house as per section 10 of the Antiquities Act-1968 should not be declared illegal.
The rule also wanted to know why directives should not be given to preserve the house under article 24 of the constitution and why a gazette notification should not the issued declaring the house an archaeological site.
The cultural affairs, science and technology, and land secretaries, Archaeology Department DG, Munshiganj DC and police super, and Srinagar OC have been made respondents to the rule which is returnable within two weeks.
On behalf of lawyer Asaduzzaman Siddiqui, Advocate Manzill Murshid filed the writ petition with the High Court on November 26.
The writ was filed following a report titled ‘World famous scientist’s house may collapse any time’ published in a national daily on November 23.
During hearing, Manzill Murshid told the court that the government is bound to preserve a historical place aged above 100 years as per the relevant law. -UNB
