Rajuk asked to demolish Sheraton's 'unauthorised' floors above 20th
High Court to hear the matter on Thursday
The civil aviation and tourism ministry has asked Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) to demolish the additional height beyond the 201-foot limit set by the Civil Aviation Authority for Hotel Sheraton in Banani.
On 30 November, the ministry issued the directive in a letter sent to Rajuk, following up on its previous notices.
A lawyer for the hotel authority said the issue is expected to be resolved during a hearing at the High Court on Thursday.
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Borak Real Estate has constructed a 28-storey building on 60 katha of land owned by Dhaka North City Corporation in Banani, a posh area of the capital. The building houses the five-star hotel.
Dhaka North and Borak brought the matter to the High Court regarding the hotel's share. On 9 October, the court ordered the resolution of the matter in the presence of both parties.
Meanwhile, the tourism ministry has written to Rajuk, instructing it to demolish the upper part above the 20th floor due to non-compliance with the construction instructions issued by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Earlier in September last year, the hotel's application for five-star status was rejected by the ministry.
Advocate Md Abu Taleb, a counsel for Borak Real Estate, told The Business Standard, "The matter concerning the upper portion beyond the 20th floor is scheduled for a hearing on Thursday, and a final settlement is expected there."
"I have not received the letter yet," Imrul Hasan, the regional officer at Rajuk, told TBS. "We will take the next step, keeping in mind the letter from the ministry and the court's directive."
On 14 November, a press release issued by Westin Hotel on behalf of Hotel Sheraton stated, "Hotel Sheraton is set to open commercially based on an agreement with Dhaka North. The construction company, Borak Real Estate, has reached an understanding with Dhaka North to implement the High Court order regarding the multi-storey building."
Hotel Sheraton, Westin Hotel, and Borak Real Estate – all three are Unique Group entities.
As per the press release, "Dhaka North and Borak Real Estate have entered into a share distribution agreement in accordance with the court order. Through this agreement, the two parties have resumed their partnership at the Hotel Sheraton. Consequently, there are no longer any obstacles to its operation.
"According to the agreement, the process of distribution of shares up to the 20th floor (height of 201 feet) of the 28-story Sheraton building has been finalised. In the future, the process of distributing shares from above 201 feet to the 28th floor will be subject to the settlement of the court."
