The High Court has ordered the director-general (DG) of the Department of Environment (DoE) and deputy commissioners (DCs) of Dhaka and four districts to appear before it on May 17 to explain why illegal brick kilns were not shut down despite its repeated directives.
The HC bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim on Wednesday passed the order after hearing a filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), a rights organisation, seeking necessary directives on this issue.
In response to a writ petition, the same High Court bench on March 1 this year directed the concerned bodies of the government to destroy all the illegal brick kilns installed in Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Manikganj, and Munshiganj districts in 15 days.
It has also asked the authorities to demolish the other installations set up in the brick kilns in those areas within 15 days.
The Director-General of the Environment Department and five Deputy Commissioners of the five districts were asked to comply with the direction and submit a compliance report in the court.
In the compliance reports submitted to the High Court, four of the DCs said they have been shutting down the illegal brick kilns and they have already shut down a total of 114 illegal brick kilns whereas the actual number is 318.
But, it has been reported in a newspaper recently that some illegal brick kilns, which were shut down earlier, are now running at Dhamrai and Savar upazilas under Dhaka district, and those are causing serious air and environment pollution.
In this circumstance, Manzill Murshid placed an application with the HC seeking an order on the government to conduct mobile courts in order to demolish the illegal brick kilns and to prosecute those who are responsible for operating the illegal brick kilns.
After hearing the petition, the High Court on Wednesday passed the order summoning the government officials.
Lawyer Manzill Murshid appeared for the petitioner, while lawyer Amatul Karim appeared for the Department of Environment and Deputy Attorney General Kazi Mynul Hasan represented the state.
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