The High Court verdict declaring the BGMEA building illegal will uphold the rule of law, development experts and professionals said yesterday.

They also demanded punishment of the government officials responsible for involving the country's two prime ministers in the foundation laying and launching ceremonies of the building, keeping the two unaware of its illegality.

The then prime minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation in November 1998, while another premier Khaleda Zia inaugurated the building in October2006.

The HC yesterday ordered the occupants to vacate the 15-storey building in the capital's Begunbari canal area within three months from receivingtheverdict.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) constructed the building although Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) did not approve its design.

Mubasshar Hussain, president of the Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB), said the public works minister and secretary and the Rajuk chairman who covered this up should be punished.

Rajuk Chairman Md Nurul Huda said the then government officials should have informed the two prime ministers that the building had no approval.

"We served notice asking the BGMEA authorities not to construct the building without approval but they did not pay any heed," Huda told The Daily Star yesterday.

Though Rajuk did not approve the building's design, it issued clearance for using the land to construct the building in the middle of the canal.

The environment department, Dhaka Wasa and Civil Aviation Authorities also issued clearance certificates.

Meanwhile, BGMEA President Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin said they will appeal against the HC verdict and approach the president and the prime minister to protect the building.

The overall interest of the garment sector should be taken into consideration, he said.

“The building was not built overnight. Why didn't the authorities object then?” he said.

Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury, a former BGMEA president, said the government itself has many buildings without approved design.

BGMEA officials say they bought a two-bigha plot in the canal area from the Export Promotion Bureau at Tk 2.7 crore.

In July 2003, Rajuk instructed BGMEA to consult the Buet expert team that was carrying out a study for Begunbari-Hatirjheel Development Project. But BGMEA did not comply, they added.

Project's technical experts also said the building was "not compatible” with the idea of conserving Begunbari canal as a sewer facility.

In a move to rectify the unauthorised construction, Rajuk in July 2006 asked BGMEA to pay a penalty of Tk Tk 12.5 lakh (ten times more than the regular fees), demolish certain portions of the building and build an approach bridge clearing the canal's water flow.

BGMEA initially declined to comply but later paid the penalty. It, however, evaded other conditions.

The matter remained unresolved throughout the caretaker government's rule.

About yesterday's HC verdict, Prof Sarwar Jahan, president of Bangladesh Institute of Planners, said it is a landmark precedence to remove illegal obstruction in implementing planned development.