Advocate Farzana Sharmin Putul and also a resident of Natore district filed the petition seeking stay on the initiative of building a new structure in the area and sought the court’s directive to announce Uttara Gonobhaban as a historical structure.
The writ also sought removal of the signboard with project details hanging in the area.
The writ will likely to be placed before the HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader on Monday for hearing on the plea, said the petitioner.
Secretaries to the ministry of Public Works and Tourism Ministries, Director General of Archeological Department, deputy commissioner of Natore district and official concerned were made respondent.
On March 7, a report title ‘Uttara Gonobhaban: Axe on Heritage’ was published at a Bangla daily newspaper.
The report said that the local administration has taken an initiative to build a new structure in and around the Uttara Gonobhaban premises in the name of turning it an attractive place for tourists, involving Tk 65 crore.
The project includes a 3D-Cineplex at a cost of Tk 54 lakh.
Uttara Gonobhaban was originally known as Dighapatia Rajbari, the residence of the Maharajas of Dighapatia built by Dayaram Roy, the Dighapatia raj in 18th century (1734).
On July 24 in 1967, the Dighapatia Palace was made Dighapatia Governor House by the governor of erstwhile East Pakistan.
After the independence, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, on February 9, 1972, declared the palace as Uttara Gonobhaban, the official residence of head of government of Bangladesh in northern region.
Since then, two inaugural nameplates engraving the names of Monem Khan and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were attached to two sides of the gate.