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Bangladesh's High Court has issued a decisive order for the recovery of 32 acres of land illegally encroached upon at the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Dhaka's Mohakhali area. The court directed the concerned authorities to reclaim the land and return possession to the hospital within a strict 30-day timeframe.

In addition to the recovery order, the bench of Justice Khizir Ahmed Choudhury and Justice Md Ziaul Haque issued a rule. This rule compels the authorities to provide an explanation for their inaction and failure to address the ongoing illegal encroachment on the hospital's valuable property. The court expects a compliance report detailing the actions taken to fulfill its directive.

The High Court's intervention followed a public interest writ petition filed by the Paupers Legal Aid Foundation. The petition was prompted by a newspaper report highlighting that the hospital, despite being allotted 32 acres, had lost approximately 24 acres to various government establishments and unauthorized structures. These include buildings for the Bangladesh Medical Research Council, National Electro-Medical Equipment Maintenance Workshop, a transport maintenance organization, a warehouse for the Directorate General of Family Planning, an IPH School, and staff quarters for Dhaka Medical College Hospital, among others.

Hospital authorities confirmed they lack records of lawful land allocation to these establishments. They also noted that while the hospital continues to pay land revenue for the entire 32 acres, significant portions of vacant land have been illegally occupied by outsiders. These encroachers have erected permanent and semi-permanent houses, shops, a makeshift market, an ice factory, and garages, further diminishing the hospital's usable land. The foundation's petition included the newspaper report and other media accounts of the alleged encroachment.