The government on Tuesday handed over a Cheque of Tk 99.21 crore to the owner of Moon cinema hall through the Appellate Division. A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, also directed the cinema hall owner to register the land in the name of Bangladesh Muktijoddah Kalyan Trust by Wednesday.
Barrister Azmalum Hossain stood for the owner of Moon cinema hall owner Maksudur Alam while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the state.
Maksudur Alam, also the executive director of Italian Marvels Works Ltd, said he received an account payee Cheque of TK 99 crore 21 lakh 73 thousand and 74 of Al-Arafah Bank.
In May 2011, the court declared the 5th Amendment to the constitution unlawful and asked Muktijoddah Kalyan Trust to return the property of Moon Cinema Hall within three months. The SC also directed the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs several times to pay Tk 100 croreto the owner of the hall. Earlier in 2000, Italian Marble Works filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.
On August 29, 2005 the HC declared Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of Bangladesh illegal, which legitimised the governments that were in power from the time of the August 15, 1975, coup through April 9, 1979. The then government announced a decree in 1977 that blocked challenges against the government's decisions to declare the property abandoned.
Moon Cinema Hall owner filed a contempt of court petition with the apex court on January 10, 2012 against the authorities concerned of the government and MuktijodhhaKalyan Trust for not executing its order. Later, on January 15, 2017, the SC ordered the authorities concerned to assess the value of the land of the cinema hall and other establishments with the help of a skilled and neutral engineer.